June 1: My Thirty Day Kindness Challenge is starting today! Click here for more information. #JoinKindness
When I first signed up for the Kindness Challenge I was doing to improve my marriage. I was signing up to challenge myself. I was doing it to bless my husband.
But in my daily Bible reading today I read a verse that made me realize something – the person I need to be doing this for, above anyone else, is Jesus.
This will be helpful for me because I’m sure there are going to be many days when it is going to take everything in me to keep my mouth shut. There will probably be plenty of days when I am not going to feel like doing anything kind for my husband, whether because of laziness or selfishness or plain old meanness.
But God is kind. Jesus is kind. Kindness is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit. And God commands me to be kind.
I’ll be re-reading these verses every day through this challenge to give me strength to be kind, even if I don’t feel like it.
The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. Psalm 145:17 (NLT)
Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you. Proverbs 11:17 (NLT)
When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. Proverbs 31: 26 (NLT)
So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:6-8 (NLT)
Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. 1 Peter 2:1-3 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 (NLT)
Becoming Mary 