Be Kind – The Presidential Prayer Team

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. – Proverbs 21:21

President Abraham Lincoln once said, “Kindness is the only service that will stand the storm of life and not wash out. It will wear well and will be remembered long after the prism of politeness or the complexion of courtesy has faded away.”  Though an article in Psychology Today cites research showing that “being kind is good for one’s physical and mental health,” one wonders whether it is a valued currency in today’s social economy.

In addition to pursuing moral and right living, in today’s proverb, King Solomon says the pursuit of kindness is another essential in life. Kindness is defined as “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.” How would you grade yourself on being kind? Do you bother to smile at the grocery store checker, even though you are disturbed by the prices you are paying? What words did you speak to the person who held a door open for you? Or did you perhaps hold open the door for another? Are you kind only to those who are special in your life or those who can benefit you? Have you helped an overworked mother of toddlers or taken a plate of cookies to an elderly shut-in neighbor? Kindness can cost you…time, energy, effort, money.

Theologian John Piper says, “Christian kindness is not merely an external change of manners; it is an internal change of heart… Christian kindness is tenderhearted. If the heart is hard on the inside and the manners are meek and polite and helpful on the outside, it is not Christian kindness.” Kindness is among the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is He who gives you the power to be kind even when you don’t feel like it. Consider how kind God has been to you, then go about reflecting that godly kindness to others. It will have its reward… for you and for the one you bless by being kind. Pray for believers across America to show kindness to others during this tumultuous election season.

Today’s Verse: Proverbs 21:21

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
    will find life, righteousness, and honor.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Philippians 2:1-4, 12-16

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ²complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

¹²Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

¹⁴Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.