If we think about an average day in our life, and how much kindness we show, we might be surprised at what we realise. We wake up, and depending on which side of the bed we wake up on, if we don’t get that coffee in pretty soon, kindness is the last thing on our minds! Then we drive to work and for me that means negotiating inner city madness. And kindness and patience are out the window. Seriously I am begging for the second coffee by now! But losing patience with fellow drivers is unkind. I try to remember that not all of the other drivers are regulars to the city and don’t know the nuances of the roads. That is until they reach what I call ‘dangerous numbskull levels’… and all mercy once again goes out the window! So I really haven’t gone far in a day without being pretty unkind.

Jesus says to love everybody as yourself, and if you think about it, that’s how we want to be treated ourselves isn’t it. And here’s another thing. The effects of being unkind are widely known to cause really bad outcomes for others and ourselves. Research has proven that depression, suicide, chronic and acute pain, and changes in behaviour are some of the consequences of being exposed to simple ongoing unkindness. It is actually a form of abuse. We are warned in the Bible about the power of the tongue and I’m sure we’ve all been on the receiving end of a vicious tongue. Just one simple unkind comment could just be the ‘straw that breaks the camel’s back’.

Being kind should be the easiest thing we can do, and for the most part it is. For me though I know there is a great deal more work to be done to achieve consistency. And being aware of kindness and its power on others is a good way to start that work. How about you? Is kindness your default position? Or do you need to work on it too?