Kindness is important.

Honestly some of the kindest, least self-centered people I've met that brighten my day are people society often treats 'less than'. I met an elderly thrift store cashier lady (Gail) and "panhandler" (Scott) trying to get a bus ticket. I loved hearing Gail's laughter at my weird sense of sarcastic humor, and little did she know, she made ME feel understood and even validated for joking in ways someone appreciated...and I felt comfortable and relaxed enough to be so lighthearted with a stranger. And then Scott stopped me to ask for money when I had no cash, but I listened, made eye contact, shook his hand, wished him the best of luck. Walking away, I realized the was the most respectful and polite person I'd interacted with in weeks.

It always gives back to be kind. We always think of being kind as some kind of gift we give to others but I think people who truly care are just being loving because that's how they believe people should be treated, no matter who they are.

The ego is ugly, attitudes of superiority / self-importance are genuinely a red flag of narcissism (which many aspects of our society glorifies and thinks is a priviledge of being glamorous; "you can act how you want, because ______, I'll overlook/look past that because you are ______"). No matter what your status, I think a little humility goes a long way in how we regard ourselves and others.

Character & how you treat other people is more important to me than the recognition, fame, talent, or title people have. If you view yourself as better or more important, if you act in ways that only promotes your agenda/serves yourself in the end, you probably are hurting people in your path. You may not care, but I think it matters if we at least on a base level care about how we interact with the people around us. We glaze past a lot because we have no relationship and don't know strangers aka "other people". But by setting ourselves apart from others, we take away some humanity in forgetting how much we all feel & experience, want & need the same- in a deep way.

None of us should be excused from a little kindness toward each other as we exist together on this planet. We don't live forever, wouldn't you like to brighten someone's day because they interacted with you (vs. making it more negative, cause you know we all have enough negativity to go around in a given day) ?

And you may just realize in humanizing everyday interactions, by treating 'people' like each one is a person like yourself -imperfect yet worthy of love- and choose to withhold prejudice (pre-judging) who they are or what they're like without knowing them, you will discover a lot of pleasant surprises. Being kind is so underrated; like being patient or giving, even when it's not convenient or may take an extra second of your time...it's worth it if it makes other people feel treated like they're human being who has value for no bigger reason than they exist and should be treated with the same kindness we ourselves want to experience.

Kent M. Keith

Rode the L a lot while we were in Chicago. Had the chance to help some kids get home after the show. It began quite the late night adventure but we were up for it. In places like this it reminds me how we all begin as strangers but we're only an encounter away from becoming a part of each other's lives. Always remember that any day a little bit of care toward your fellow human can make a positive change, even if it's small or short, it's still worth it. They're still worth it. Every action of kindness is not wasted, even if it only grows your own heart and character or to continue the practice of showing kindness. Remember that and keep being kind. (at Redline Chicago)

Bob Goff

Mother Teresa

This is possibly my favorite, ever.

Mother Teresa

Practice being kind.

Tonight I learned something very simple from the Holy Spirit about loving others.

There will be days you are around someone and everything seems to set them off. No matter what you say or do, they are on edge. They get offended, hurt, upset, or argumentative quickly. Or, maybe they just walk into the room that way- already set off. You could have done absolutely nothing and yet you’re going to get treated like you pushed every wrong button they have. Anyone can relate to being around this if they have family or experienced lived with another human person. And I think we’ve all been on the other side of it, too, where we’re the ones with the disgruntled emotions.

I realized tonight that the best thing to do is simply decide, “I love this person, and I’m not going to let their attitude affect mind.” You keep showing them kindness, you look for ways to show them you love them, and most of all, try to understand. They may not even know the reason behind why they are being moody or taking it out on you. But honestly, there’s always something going on deeper than the surface level of how it comes out to the people around them. Maybe they are grouchy. Maybe they are quick to get angry or snap at you. Looking beneath that to the heart you care about and having compassion for them is a hundred times more beneficial than trying to fix their behavior or convince them to change it. You may not even have to say anything. You may just have to ignore the way  they are acting and keep looking for ways to show them you care about them. A lot of times that’s all people need, but we give up too soon after we’ve had too much.

Gentleness and tenderness go such a long way. No, it’s not the normal, immediate response we probably feel when someone is being nasty or frustrating or just unpleasant to be around.

Kindness when someone doesn’t ‘deserve’ it, but deep down needs it, is something we have to learn to practice every day. Some days it comes easier. But loving people isn’t always easy; it takes a lot of grace, because we’re all imperfect, and we’re all in the process. We all need grace and unconditional love. When we look at Jesus’ example of His love for us, we’ll be humbled to remember the grace He has given us and I think it’s becomes a no-brainer to extend grace to others because we understand we’re no better than anyone else and yet Christ loves me as much as He loves another- which is still more than we can imagine or fully grasp. If I can learn from Him and show others His kind of love, it is not a pain, it’s a pleasure and joy.

Being loved and knowing you’re loved is something every person needs, and the time we need it most is when we’re at our worst. How amazing is it when someone still loves the heck out of you no matter what because it’s not based on your condition, it’s based on a love that comes from Jesus’ heart that is genuine and real and never ends? I think it’s one of the best things you can ever receive, or give. Recognizing even on the difficult days that it is still worth loving another person and getting to know their heart is one of the most important daily lessons we can grow in.

Loving means humbling yourself. (“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” [Ephesians 4:2]). Love means dying to self (John 15:13) it means selflessness, not selfishness. You don’t focus on your own interests but you look to others’ (Philippians 2:4). Loving means action, not just thinking it, or having it inside you, or having the intention to; love find ways to show it. (“Let us not love in word or talk but in deeds and in truth.” [1 John 3:18]). Love means gentleness, tenderness, kindness. Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” [Galatians 5:22-23]), who dwells and lives inside us. He will teach us how to love like Jesus would if we just ask and listen.

Jesus commands us to love others and He’ll show us how to walk that out if we just pay attention. Everything about love always points back to Jesus; the more we know Him, the more we know the way He loves, the more we are able to love others in the same way.

Yes, there will be some days loving another person won’t come so easily by nature; but we should be thankful for those times when it ‘tests’ us to be humble, patient, kind, tender, gentle, selfless, and loving… because it is growing us in love, it is making us more like Christ, and through it, God is glorified. We can love like that because He has poured that love into our hearts through His Spirit (Romans 5:5), and we can give that love others. It’s an overflow of love that we’ve received from Him (“We love because He first loved us” [1 John 4:19).

Honestly, this love requires meekness. I think a lot of us don't always quite get what being 'meek' is about, it's not a word we use in our vocabulary a lot, but I think it wraps a lot of the characteristics of Jesus' love into one simple word.

Our fleshly nature that we've died to wouldn't naturally want to love this way. But because we've been made new in Christ, we are able to love with meekness. And when we do, it's a fruit of His Spirit, it's an evidence of that; it's not something we have to strive for or need it get; it's always within us, we just have to yield to the Holy Spirit. Loving isn't so hard when it comes from a heart turned toward Him. The more you grow in it, the more naturally it overflows out of you to others.

Most of the time when people do something wrong  -they have the wrong attitude, say the wrong thing, do something wrong- we want to let them know, 'Hey!'. Or at the very least, we'd like to not have to deal with it. But what if we let go of that, chose to not be offended or take it personal, and just decided to practice being kind? What if we decided to let go of our selfishness, our own interests, our pride, our tendency to match with a similar response (etc) and simply choose to love like Jesus?