I don’t know about you, but I love it when someone is kind to me. A thoughtful comment, a small encouragement, or a generous gesture really touches my heart and lightens my mood. I remember when I was struggling as a new mum and people took the time to cook a meal for me; it meant so much.
In our world today there’s so many people in need of encouragement and a taste of God’s love for them.
So imagine what would happen if we as Jesus’ followers all made a conscious, intentional decision to be more kind; to develop a culture of kindness in our everyday lives.
Not something we just do randomly, every so often (after all, the word ‘random’ means something ‘made, done, or happening without method or conscious decision’). But instead, why don’t we make a conscious choice to become kinder people?
Because kindness changes lives. And best of all, it can give people a taste of Jesus’ love for them.
Joseph Pandian, our missionary in Harrow, shares how he has seen the power of kindness first-hand. “Kindness is powerful, it plays a very crucial role in us delivering the good news of Jesus.”
While at a church coffee morning one Saturday, he decided to go outside and invite people in to join them. He saw a man who looked worried and sad, and invited him in for a cup of coffee. “He was so happy to be invited inside, he asked me immediately, ‘What made you invite me in? I’ve never been invited into a church in all my life!’”
Joseph continues, “He started sharing his story, and how he was on his own, with his family in India. I invited him to come along to our Friday Tamil prayer meetings, and he started coming from the next week onwards. Now I disciple him, he comes every Friday, and I send him encouraging messages regularly.”
“He has started following Jesus Christ, and it gives me immense happiness and joy; bringing someone in and just showing a little bit of kindness.”
“I didn’t do anything much, just showed him a good smile and invited him for a cup of coffee – and he’s so glad. I think when we have kindness in our heart, which is prompted by the Holy Spirit, I believe God will prepare people for us to show that kindness to.”
If becoming kinder is a challenge you’re up for embracing, here’s 5 principles to help you develop a kinder lifestyle:
Can you think of a time when someone encouraged you and it made a real difference?
Let’s not forget how much impact our kind and positive words can have.
As the Bible tells us, ‘Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad’ (Proverbs 12:25), and ‘Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones’ (Proverbs 16:24).
Could you start small by deciding to share kind words with at least one person each day? Pray for God to help you keep it up.
Joseph’s story encourages us that when we do make space to intentionally connect with other people in the midst of our busyness, God can do amazing things.
If we’re honest, we’re often so focused on getting stuff done – on making it through the daily grind – that we can miss opportunities to show simple kindness to others around us.
Let’s make a choice to see the person in each interaction, and to slow down enough to connect and be kind.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us ‘Therefore encourage one another and build one another up...’
Really getting to know people means so much to them. For Joseph’s friend, it means he is now part of a church community, and has a new caring friend he can rely on.
Why not prayerfully reflect, asking God who he has brought you into contact with and wants you to make an extra effort with; really getting to know and encourage them. What an opportunity to share God’s love with someone, especially those who don’t yet know him.
We can sometimes, without realising it, end up only showing kindness to our friends, other Christians or ‘PLUs’ (People Like Us). In fact, the recent Talking Jesus research shows that 42% of practising Christians say they don’t feel that they know any non-Christians well enough to talk to them about Jesus Christ.
Our experience at London City Mission shows that those least likely to have a Christian friend include the elderly, young people, people from other faith backgrounds, homeless and marginalised people, and people living on council estates.
Might God be asking you to get to know some new people, who don’t look like you? What small practical steps could you take to start doing this today?
Imagine if we all chose to step out and become kinder people, showing love in Jesus’ name to all kinds of people around us. If you’ve decided to take that step, why not share your intentional decision with a friend and ask them to check in with you regularly to see how it’s going?
I can’t be the only one who’s felt a nudge from God that I should do something for someone else, but reasoned myself out of it because it would take too much effort, inconvenience me or spoil my well-laid plans. But imagine if Joseph hadn’t been willing to go on the street that day and invite people in?
Let’s be willing to be inconvenienced – whether than means leaving home 10 minutes early to make time to chat with the homeless lady who you pass each day, or offering to do something helpful for someone that takes you out of your way, or taking time to properly listen to how someone is, rather than rushing away.
As Joseph explains, “It’s not always easy to be kind – sometimes we have to inconvenience ourselves to be kind to others. That’s the power the Holy Spirit empowers us with, to forgo certain things to show kindness to others.”
“I’m really still amazed how Jesus showed me that man, struggling with his loneliness, and used me to be kind to him, to give him a bit of joy through Jesus Christ. That gave me a great opportunity to share Jesus with him. When we show kindness, I think we are witnessing Jesus; we are pointing them to Jesus.”
LCM shares the gospel alongside the local church of London, equipping everyday Christians to lovingly bring a message of hope in Christ to those least likely to hear it.
Registered Charity No. 247186
