Walking in Kindness

I was reminiscing the other day, thinking back to thoughts from previous life. I often saw what I call "unintentional rudeness," those instances when one is so focused on self that they ignore the way their actions impact others. It might be something as simple as going through a door and letting it close on the person behind you. Quite simply, it is living a life that is inconsiderate. If I am to live a life that reflects the person of Christ, I need to be aware how my actions impact others; I will be aware of the consequences of my actions, I will live with others in mind.

When I practice the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23, (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.) I will consider how my life intersects with those around me. Christ lived each day with a focus on others as He looked ahead to the cross. His was not a life of comfort and ease, nor was it a life pushing for personal success. His was a life dedicated to meeting the needs of others, even at His own expense. When I truly follow His example, I live to meet the needs of others; however, I can only meet needs that I am aware of and I will only be aware of other's needs as I make those folks important in my life. Even "strangers" become important when I realize that my life impacts theirs, even in ways that may seem insignificant to me. Hence, the idea of unintentional rudeness. I do not need to go out of my way to be rude, I can do that with no thought at all. Likewise, I do not need to take drastic detours to be kind to others; I can demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit without radically changing what I do. What I need to change is the focus of my life and the reason I do what I do. I need to be others-focused and live to represent Christ in a world that desperately needs to see him.

As I walk through each day, I need to avoid unintentional rudeness and live a life that is indeed considerate to those around me. I need to see people and I need to see their needs. It may cost me a couple of minutes here and there, but the rewards far outweigh the costs as I represent Christ by living for others. In this world, that kind of behavior stands out and it may open a door to share the gospel Christ with others.