Kindness Is Free

by Kathy Karnes

There is nothing more comfortable in the summer than wearing a good ole “Life is Good” tee and your favorite shorts. If you’ve never worn that tee, you need to order one and find out for yourself. As I was scrolling on their website, I was instantly drawn to one of their graphic tees that simply said, “Kindness Is Free.” Don’t we need a lot more kindness in this crazy world of unrest we’re living in right now?

My husband’s grandmother, Granny Karnes, always said, “It’s easy to be mean.” She was right! As a teacher of 8- and 9-year-old children in the public school system for 32 years, my observation was that it sure did seem to come quite naturally for my students to choose to be mean to their friends instead of treating them with kindness. What? It’s a choice? My observation made me decide to begin our day by reciting the Golden Rule. “Treat others the way you want to be treated” was our daily quote that we recited. The Message Bible says, “Here is a simple rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them” (Matthew 7:12). The Golden Rule served my students very well on a daily basis. It serves us well too if we decide to live it out.

Kindness is defined as “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.” What if we chose to be blatantly kind? Kindness is one of the Fruits of the Spirit, and I sure do enjoy being the recipient of someone’s kindness. I bet you do too!

There are many Scriptures in the Bible that advise God’s people on how to live, and one that pertains to this subject is in the Book of Colossians. It simply says, “You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. Put up with one another. Forgive one another if you are holding something against someone. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:12-13).

I challenge me and you to let God clothe every aspect of our hearts. Let His lovingkindness and gentleness flow from our actions. Let our character reflect His Word. When we are in Christ, we become His reflection on earth. Our actions, behavior, and temperance are a reflection of Christ. Let’s choose to be patient. Let’s choose to control our temper. Let’s choose not to respond recklessly. Let’s let Christ regulate and cultivate our thoughts, actions, and reactions.

Let’s choose to be kind. It’s free!

About The Author Kathy Karnes is married to John and they have grown twin daughters. She was an elementary classroom teacher in Bradley County and is presently involved in several ministries in our community; Anchorpoint Foundation, Women at the Well, FBC Choir and Pet Therapy with her dog, Jazz.