“I think he needs stitches,” my wife said as she showed me a picture of his cut. Sure enough, a two-inch gash across my sons’ Achilles heel required stitches. My first instinct was to remind my sons how I’ve told them multiple times not to run in the house. I withdrew that thought and replied, “That looks like six stitches. Time to go to urgent care.”

Lately, I’ve been working hard on watching what I say to my wife and kids. In the past, I’ve sometimes been harsh with my words. It was not because I disliked them but more because I was raised to be tough in a harsh world.

Recognizing this characteristic is contrary to scripture, I’ve taken steps to improve. The first thing I did was remind myself kindness is a fruit of the Spirit and readily available. The second is to ask God for me to be kind and also instill a tender heart for others. The third, redefine kindness in biblical terms.

Kindness is not to be confused with niceness. Someone can be nice but not genuine about it. Niceness is more about what someone gets out of the gesture than the person receiving the gesture. Kindness is underserved and unconditional.

When my son and his mother returned from the hospital, his brothers and I took care of his chores. I also witnessed as his brothers served him dinner and helped him with his bedtime routine. It was a powerful and encouraging display of kindness.

Eventually, the wound will heal, and he’ll have a scar to remind him of the accident and the kind gestures he received.

Daily Directive:

Answer and Journal the Following

Read:

Read and meditate on Galatians 6:9-10 for yourself. 

Pray:

What makes it easy or difficult for you to be kind? Be real; be honest.

Meditate / Make It Real:

Start by asking God to make you kind. Then create a plan on how you will take steps to be kind.

Share / Show:

Share this with a fellow brother and have them hold you accountable.