Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Life is full of rules. Stick to the speed limit, return your library books on time, put the loo seat down after you’ve finished.
As a teacher rules are a significant part of my life. As Head of Year 7 it is my job to ensure that rules are enforced. Thankfully in my school we don’t have hundreds of rules. We have one main rule, and that is simply Be Kind.
I think that’s a pretty good rule. I think that the apostle Paul would agree. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13 he tells us that ‘love is kind’. If we strive as Christians to love our neighbour, as Jesus commands his followers to do, one of the simplest ways of doing so is simply to follow my school’s most important rule, to ‘Be Kind’.
It sounds simple enough. Yet if we are to Be Kind to everyone whom we encounter, it can require a bit of effort. It’s easy to Be Kind to those whom we like, but what about our irritating neighbours, the person at work who routinely mocks us because of our beliefs, or the person at church who bores us over coffee after the service every single week? Being kind to people that we don’t really like can be a challenge.
Jesus is the ultimate example of kind living. For him, being kind was not just a thought or an attitude, but an action that defined who he was. He demonstrated kindness to all those whom he encountered through his compassion. Even as hung on the cross, dying for you and for me, he demonstrated kindness to those who crucified him by praying for their forgiveness.
Let us strive today to be kind to all those whom we encounter, displaying Christ’s compassion even to those we dislike.
As featured on Premier Christian Radio’s ‘Inspirational Breakfast’.
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Do you have a favourite day of the week? If you do, I’d guess that Mondays wouldn’t be your top choice. For most, Monday is the beginning of another hard week at work. But the beginning of the week presents us with the opportunity for a fresh start, a chance to put away our failings of last week and to resolve to do better this week.