“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32, NIV
James was frustrated with his young children’s constant bickering. One day, he decided to change their focus. He took a huge sheet of butcher paper and put it on the wall in the dining room. He divided the sheet in half, putting each child’s name on the paper.
Then he instructed his kids, “Each day, I want you to write one nice thing you like about each other.”
Over the next month, James’s children kept adding different things to the list. His son wrote that he loved the way his sister had helped him learn to ride a bike. His daughter shared that she liked the Lego villages her brother made.
As they slowly shifted their focus to the positive things the other one had done, James noticed they didn’t bicker as much. When the paper was finally overfilled with kind words and sweet thank-you messages, his daughter asked him to put up a new sheet so they could continue their daily tradition.
It can be hardest to be kind to those we live with. That’s because it’s easy to focus on all the things we find annoying about them, rather than looking for the good. Why not think about how you can encourage someone in your household today?
Prayer:
Lord, send a spirit of kindness on my household. Let my family members be sweet and encouraging to one another. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
