A Seed of Kindness Can Sow Incredible Change


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And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. -- Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

A kind word. An act of service. A listening ear.

It’s amazing what a little kindness can do. Moods lighten. We feel seen and valued. Trust is built. We show people they matter, and not just to us, but to the God who made them.

Kindness travels much further than we know, swift on the wings of encouragement and buoyed by the hope it brings (Proverbs 25:25), and we are to build up others in grace and truth. The love of God compels us to not only encouragement for those around us, but in the sharing of hearts and lives so that we may be strengthened in the Lord.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. -- Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

We are to spur each other on towards deep love and good deeds, persevering through trials while being propelled by hope.

Kindness and encouragement are external outpourings of an internal overflow. We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19) and it’s from this love that leads us into the hurts of others with a healing salve of empathy and support. Our lives should lead from love. Love from relationship with Christ, to hear his heartbeat and align it with ours.

The way Jesus sees and treats people is our standard, and Jesus made people a priority. Is your elderly neighbor in need of a visit? Could your friend in another state use a fun card in the mail? Or the co-worker who quietly does her job day in and out without recognition—see if she’d like a specialty coffee you can pick up on your way in.

Jesus tells us to align our lives with love:

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)

Every seed of kindness has the chance to sow incredible change into someone’s day. We have the privilege of bringing God’s Kingdom to the people around us. We get to be His hands and feet, holding up hope for those who need it and shine a beacon of light in a dark and hurting world. We get to be God’s mouthpiece, calling out the good in others and reminding them of their identity as God’s child.

We are all in need of a healing word or comforting embrace. Lean into love to both fill and fuel you, for the good of others and the glory of God.


Questions for Reflection:

1. What might living from the overflow of God’s love look like? What’s keeping you from reaching out to someone with the love of Jesus today?

2. Write a note of encouragement to someone you haven’t talked with in a while and drop it in the mail.

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    Sarah Freymuth

    Sarah Freymuth loves words. She also loves people. And she loves weaving them together in honest and vulnerable ways that cut underneath the surface and break open the longings of the heart. Sarah is the communications manager for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, writes for numerous publications, and is the editor of Awake Our Hearts, an online literary journal for the female voice exploring faith and life in full. She is a writer and dreamer whose words breathe hope and wonder into the world. She enjoys being by Lake Michigan and her simple Midwest life with her husband, especially when they blend together on Washington Island. Website: www.sarahfreymuth.com

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