“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12, NIV
Marcy was struggling with how to explain concepts like “grace” and “kindness” to her preschool-age children. So, she decided to encourage them to put on kindness each day by serving others.
To help illustrate the point, she went to her closet. She pulled out old t-shirts and skirts from the overflowing pile. Then she picked out a few pieces of costume jewelry and a few ties from her husband.
She spread the clothes out for her kids and urged each of them to create an outfit using the items she’d laid out. Her children were delighted to play along, and it was only a few minutes before each one was fully dressed.
Then she invited her kids to a party at the dining room table. “Since you’re dressed in kindness, I want you to do something kind,” she explained. “Sarah, pour your brother some tea from the kettle. Brian, why don’t you put one snack on everyone’s plate?”
Being kind is one way Christians can extend grace. But it’s easy to forget kindness in our busy lives. Why not create a to-do list filled with kind deeds?
You might want to put items like “mow the lawn for a neighbor” or “take out the trash when it’s not my turn” on it. Then each week, pick 2-3 acts of kindness to perform.
Prayer:
Lord, teach me how to be kind. Don’t let me get so wrapped up in my own plans that I forget to care for others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
