Show a Little Kindness

This is a photo of a little boy who was on our prayer list for quite a while.  Bryce developed a serious staff infection and nearly died.  His twin brother was right by his side while Bryce was in the hospital.

http://youtu.be/KaCBTSQZq1E - Try a Little Kindness - Glenn Campbell


Ephesians 5:16
Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Be careful how you live - make the most of every opportunity...
People are hurting.  Every day I pass by someone who is broken in some way.  Some are physically hurting because of illness or disease; some have emotional pains that I might not be able to see, and some have no faith or if they do, it's wavering, questioning whether God really cares about them.

If I know someone is struggling, I usually make an effort to show kindness.  Just a simple smile and "How are you?" to someone who feels alone and rejected can make all the difference in the world.  But I don't always know who is hurting.  Sometimes the people who are hurting the most are the ones who put on the biggest smile.  They act like everything is going wonderfully in public, and then they go home and cry. 

How can I show kindness to those who feel so separated from the rest of us?  How can I be Jesus to the hurting?  I think it starts with the human touch.

There's a short little passage in the Gospels about a man with leprosy. Leprosy was a disease that separated it's victim from everything and everyone.  Not only was leprosy very contagious, there was no known cure.  One person with that horrible disease could contaminate a whole city very quickly.  To prevent an outbreak, people with leprosy were expelled from their homes and cities. A leper could no longer be around his family or friends.  The only way he could have any interaction was with other  lepers . 

In Luke 5 Jesus is approached by a man covered with leprosy.  This passage indicates that the leprosy was attacking him all over his body, face, arms, legs...  Most likely it had been a long time since anyone had even made eye contact with him on the streets, much less stopped and talked with him.  He would have been repulsive to look at; he probably smelled awful, too, as his body was literally decaying and dying each day.  His hope for ever being able to hug his children or his wife was long gone.  If ever a man needed a Savior, it was this leper.

He must have heard about this man, Jesus, who could heal the sick and raise the dead.  Can you imagine?
What if?  What if he could see Jesus and just ask him for help?  Obviously, Jesus was kind and good.  Surely he would want to help?  But how could the leper ever get close enough to ask Jesus for his help?  Crowds of people were always surrounding him.  His disciples tried to protect Jesus from the crazy people in the crowds, too.  There's no way they would let a leper get close to Jesus.

But then there it was. The window of opportunity!  For just a second, this poor disease-ridden man caught the gentle, loving eyes of Jesus of Nazareth.  The leper's hopes must have soared when Jesus didn't look away.  No one had looked at him like that in a very long time.  No one had acknowledged his presence unless it was to yell and shout for him to go away.  But Jesus didn't seem afraid.  He stopped. 

The man fell with his face to the ground and begged him,
"Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Luke 5:12

Then the impossible happened.  Jesus reached out His hand and touched him!  He touched the leper!  This man had not been touched in so very long.  His children had not been able to hug his neck, or sit in his lap.  His wife hadn't been able to give him a kiss or hold his hand.  His mother, oh the thought of that! His mother could not wrap her arms around him.  It was forbidden for anyone to touch him, or they would be considered "unclean", and they could be sent away, too.  I imagine this man loved his family, and he would not have wished this life on the people he loved - not even on his worst enemy.  So as much as he longed for human touch, he stayed away from those he loved.

I love the way Mark tells this same story in Mark 1:41 - "Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man."  Jesus saw the pain, the fear, the loneliness; and He was filled with compassion! 
Most people would have quickly looked away from the leper, but Jesus had empathy for him. Maybe Jesus forsaw his own future when He would be the "outcast", shunned by everyone who knew Him. Remember that night when the soldiers came and took Him away, how His friends and family looked the other way for fear that they, too, would be arrested and killed?  Jesus definitely would experience the loneliness and rejection of those who loved him.

Jesus cared for the leper and that gave  him hope.  Could Jesus save him from this life of misery?

The touch of human kindness is God's medicine.  A touch gives hope and encouragement, love,
compassion...  A simple touch on the arm of a friend who is hurting can be a powerful reminder than someone cares. But Jesus didn't stop there.  "Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man.  "I am willing," he said.  "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. Luke 5:13

There are people I will see today who feel alone. They may be experiencing family problems, illness, financial struggles, depression, discouragement... they may not appear to be hurting - on the outside.  I know I will either see or speak to someone today who needs a little kindness.  I can do that.  I can offer a "touch".  I can take an extra moment to reach out and touch that person, either physically or emotionally with a kind word.  I can make eye contact and give a smile, instead of looking the other way.

Kindness is such a powerful thing. What if we all made a special effort today to show kindness to everyone we meet?  Make the most of every opportunity! Don't miss anyone.  And don't think that just because someone seems happy, as if he has his life all together, that he doesn't need a little human kindness directed at him.  We all need it.  We all need to feel loved and accepted.  So today, my challenge to you is to show kindness to everyone God puts in your day. You'll be a blessing to others and God, who can never be out done, will bless you even more!


Here are just a few references about the importance of showing kindness.  If you want to feel really great today, show kindness to someone! They will feel better, and so will you.

“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” Proverbs 12:25


“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”        Proverbs 19:17


This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24


“He has not left Himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Acts 14:17


“God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.” Romans 2:4


“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” 1 Corinthians 13:4


“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23


In order that He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”  Ephesians 2:7
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32


“When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Titus 3:4-6

Holy Father, thank You for Your kindness towards me.  Because of the kindness You expressed through Your Son, I am redeemed.  Because of the kindess and love of my Savior, I am saved, not because anything I done, but because of Your mercy and kindness.  You've shown such compassion and caring towards all Your people, even when we've turned away from You so many times, You still offer forgiveness and love. Lord, help me to show kindness to others.  Help me to reach out and touch those who may be hurting and feeling like nothing will ever be okay again.  It's amazing how much hope comes with just a little smile.  Help me to be quick to smile, to make eye contact, to show compassion, just like Jesus.  Lord, open my eyes so that I can see the people You are putting in my path; those to whom You want me to show kindness and love.  It's the least I can do after all the kindness You've shown me and continue to show me.  I love You, LORD, and thank You for showing me the heart of Jesus through the story of the Leper.  This is my prayer in Jesus's Precious Name.  Amen.
 
http://youtu.be/AJ4oUGt14BY - Give me Your Eyes - Brandon Heath
 
I heard this story a few years ago.  Whether it's a true story or not doesn't really matter, because this kind of situation does happen all the time.  We may never know what our acts of kindness prevent.  We also may never know the opportunities we have missed to make a life altering difference in another person's life.
 
Make the most of every opportunity...
A Simple Gesture


Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.

Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. "Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mothers sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more, you saved my life."