“…But be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.” – Ephesians 5:18-2
Our Christian faith is reflected in how we treat one another. As we develop a relationship with God, and as we come to realize the love and grace God has for us, we also grow in our love and grace for others. The apostle Paul says this relationship is reflected in kindness. (Galatians 5:22) As we grow in our connection to God and as we learn about God’s love for us, we develop a greater love for our neighbor.
I enjoy Wednesday Night Alive with my family. Each Wednesday night, before we head to our respective classes, we have a wonderful dinner together. We love the great food and we have so much fun with our friends. When dinner is over, two of my daughters go to the youth group for worship and small groups. My youngest daughter, Molly Anne, enjoys her time with the children’s ministry. Last week, I was walking Molly Anne to her class when I experienced a wonderful moment of kindness. As we were walking to class, we both still had our drinks from dinner in our hand. Molly Anne did not want to take her drink to the children’s area. She took a moment and stepped into the bathroom to pour her drink out and throw her a cup away. She told me that it is important to empty your cup before you throw it away so that the person who’s taking the trash out doesn’t get wet when they take the bag out of the can. I’m sure this is something that’s been taught to her at school, but it was so good to see her take the initiative to do it herself. I was so proud of her as she went out of her way to show kindness to others.
When we take a moment to do simple, yet kind things for others, we express the love of God that has been experienced in our own hearts. It did not take Molly Anne long to pour out the contents of her cup. The person who would later take out the trash would never know of her choice, but in that moment of kindness, God’s love was being shared and experienced. Our gratitude for God’s love and grace is best expressed in our kindness to each other. Let us look for opportunities to be kind. This is how we love God and love our neighbor.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
