The Morning Rush

You’re stuck in traffic. Everyone is rushing, you don’t want to be late for work.

People are trying to skip the line, get pass the yellow light before it turns red; everyone’s beeping out of stress and desperation because they’re running late. You know how it is.

In the middle of all this, this one guy is trying to get in front of you when there’s almost no space, but you don’t let him. Why should you?

He keeps trying, and you keep closing him off. He gets so close that he’s about to scratch your car, but you still don’t give up. He gives you the looks, and you can see he’s telling you off behind his window. You reply back behind your window.

He can’t get through, you win. Congratulations!

So, what was the point? Was it worth it? Wouldn’t it have been better to avoid the stress and trouble, and let him get in? Wouldn’t it have been better to be kind?

Kindness is Hard

Ego is always in the middle. It’s easy to be kind when everything is going well, but it gets hard, even impossible when we feel attacked or taken advantage of; our response tends to be offensive as we get defensive.

Kindness is so much more than just being friendly. Being friendly to your friend is easy, and obvious in a way, but real kindness is often unexpected. It’s not always obvious, it doesn’t even make sense sometimes. That’s the whole point, that’s why it is hard.

When someone is mean to you at the bus station, the logical response is to be mean back to them.

When someone is giving you a hard time at work, the logical response is to give them a hard time too.

When someone is swearing at you while driving, the logical response is to swear back at them.

Kindness is a Sign of Strength

But imagine if instead of being mean to that person at the bus station, you pay their bus ticket.

Instead of giving your colleague a hard time at work, you try to help them out with a task or a project they’re stuck with.

Instead of swearing back at that guy in traffic, you let them go first.

Kindness is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of wisdom because you’re not letting what’s happening on the surface level affect what goes on underneath. It’s a sign of courage because you’re putting yourself second, it’s a sign of love even with the person that doesn’t deserve it.

The Bible teaches us to be kind from different perspectives:

• Kindness is self-reflective and logical: If you do to others as you would like them do to you (Luke 6:31 NIV), probably you’d never be rude to anyone, unless you like it when people are rude to you.
• Kindness is honorable: If you pursue kindness, you will find life, righteousness, and honor (Proverbs 21:21 ESV)
• Kindness is smart: If you are kind, you benefit yourself, whereas when you’re cruel, you ultimately hurt yourself (Proverbs 11:17 NIV)
• Kindness is sweet and healthy: Kind words are like honey — sweet to the soul and healthy for the body (Proverbs 16:24 NLT)

Real kindness is intentional, it’s unselfish, it’s unreal, it’s fulfilling.

Try it out today, and tomorrow, and the day after, you won’t regret it.

Stay kind,

Love,

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