Unexpected Kindness
Unexpected Kindness
The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8)
When Aaron and I were first married, I went out of my way to do things for him, even when he didn’t ask me to. I wanted to be an excellent wife, and I enjoyed meeting his needs. But after a few months we began arguing about money. It was a constant source of friction between us.
Soon I began focusing on Aaron’s faults instead of his strengths. Since I knew I was part of the problem, I asked God what I could do to improve our relationship. I needed help getting back on track with my attitude, so I purchased The Love Dare by Stephen and Alex Kendrick. I was a bit skeptical when I first got the book. I mean, how much can you really change a relationship in forty days? But the challenges required in this book were exactly what we needed.
On day two of The Love Dare my assignment was to show Aaron at least one unexpected act of kindness. That evening while we were watching TV, I quietly reached over and placed Aaron’s feet in my lap. He seemed genuinely pleased that I initiated a foot massage. By taking the time to show him I cared, I opened the door a bit more to help our struggling relationship.
Showing kindness and love in our relationships takes consistent prayer and sacrifice. Sometimes we show more kindness toward strangers than we do to our own loved ones. But in Romans 12:10 we are reminded, “Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor.” God wants us to show our love to one another through unselfish devotion. Once you let go of selfishness, you can be more in tune with the heart of God.