Eternal Souls Christian Blog and Commentary

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Be kind to each other

 

Be kind to each other!

Be kind to each other!

 

Thought- Be Kind! For everyone we meet is going through a tough battle we may know nothing about.

Scripture- “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Insight: I heard the thought above while driving in my car and it caused me to stop and ponder how many times am I too busy to notice that someone I have just interacted with may be going through a tougher battle than I could have ever have known. Would that effect the way I would have interacted with that person if I came into the moment with that mindset? In other words, if I entered every encounter, I have throughout the day, with the mindset that each person is going through a tough battle which I will most likely never know about. It should lead me to being more graceful, more patient, more kind! Sometimes we hear things that we need to hear when we need to hear them for, they change our perspective or cause us a moment of reflection.

That was the response I had to what I heard on the radio. I want to be more available to others, and not be too busy to notice or care what others are going through. I want to make extra efforts to just be kind! That is impossible when I rush through each day, pre-occupied with only what I am trying to accomplish or focused only on my own struggles. It takes a concerted effort to widen the lens through which I notice things around me, including the struggles that others may be having. This whole world could use more kindness right now. More compassion, more grace, more tolerance and less judgement. I am going to try my hardest to keep my mind open to the idea that each person I encounter is going through a tough battle right now, that I may never know about. It could be a battle with addiction. It could be a broken heart or a broken home. It could financial stress. It could a health issue for them or a loved one. It could be a myriad of things. I hope it changes how I view each day and each moment of every day. How about you? Are you too busy to notice what others may be going through? Stop and reflect and be kind!

Prayer: Father God, help us to live out one of Jesus’s great commands to us to “be kind to one another.” When we are too pre-occupied with ourselves, we many times fail to notice the struggles that others may be facing. Help us to slow down and be aware that everyone we meet is facing a tough battle right now. Help us to be aware of others by being less aware of ourselves. We pray for this selfless attitude to permeate all of our interactions. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!