How kind are you?

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Jesus said, "Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:35,36, NIV).

This passage raises questions for each of us to consider:

1. Am I doing good to others?

2. Am I merciful to believers and unbelievers?

3. Have I forgiven my enemies enough to bless them?

4. Are my deeds being noticed by unbelievers?

We need a revival of kindness that captures the world’s attention. Unbelievers today are more intrigued by our acts of compassion and mercy than they are our televised sermons. Authentic Christianity, to them, has more to do with charitable deeds than systematic theology. They say, "Show me that you’re different and then I’ll take a look at your Jesus."

Someone said recently, "I get more understanding and help from strangers in a bar than I’d get from Christians in a church." Generally that statement is false, but it reiterates the importance of extending our kindness beyond the walls of the church. The church was never intended to be a hive unto itself, where acts of kindness are limited to the body of Christ. Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

The Lord brought this verse to my mind on a recent flight from Amsterdam. I was seated next to an Iranian couple immigrating to the United States. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart: "Help them." So I promptly guided the Muslim couple through Customs and Immigration and handed them my phone number if they needed further assistance.

In broken English, the young man asked, "Why are you helping us? You don’t know us."

I replied, "I follow Jesus Christ. He loves you. And I know it’s His will for me to help you any way I can."

"Do all Christians believe like this?" the man asked.

I wanted to respond "absolutely." Instead, I said, "You’ll find that many do."

Will you join me in praying for revival — a revival characterized by kindness? Perhaps then, more of us will live by the adage "Seldom resist the impulse to do something kind."

— Hal Donaldson