Did you know that kindness works? It really does. When we are kind to one person, it has a tendency to carry over to another and so on. It has been said that a smile goes a long way. It is the same for an act of kindness.
Our greatest example of kindness is Jesus Christ. Jesus, God’s only son, came to this earth to introduce us to a way of living that was not very popular. Jesus said in John 15:12, “Love one another as I have loved you.” In Matthew 22, He said “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus lived a life of love, care, and sacrifice. We are reminded of how we are to live like him by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:32: “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
We have a tendency in life to shift our human responses, even kindness, to other people. We say: “If that person is kind to me, then I will be kind to them.” But this is not at all how Jesus taught. He taught the “Golden Rule” in Matthew 7:12. He said: “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.” In other words, we need to act first and lead by example. We need to love by example, we need to be kind by example, and we need to forgive by example, just as Jesus lived that example for us. We cannot expect others to show these good attributes to us if we are not first willing to show them to others.
Here at Campbell Baptist Church, we know that kindness does work. We’ve seen how the effects of kindness can help and encourage others. We take advantage of different opportunities throughout the year to be a blessing to others through acts of kindness. Sometimes it’s in our day-to-day lives and sometimes it’s for a planned event. We would love for you to come join us in this endeavor to share kindness with others. I would challenge you to purpose to show kindness to others today and every day.
Today we thanked our local Campbell Police Department for all of the good things they do for our city. The world wants us to judge everyone based on the actions of a few, even though none of us would want to be judged in that manner. We have to be willing to be kind first, to love first, and to forgive first if we expect others to follow our example. Please take the time to show the love of God and share kindness to those in your community that take care of you every day. We at Campbell Baptist Church thank you Campbell Police for your efforts on keeping us safe and coming to our aid in times of need! We appreciate you!