January Reflection – Show Kindness
By Tay Poh Imm
Currently President of GB Singapore Mrs Tay brings tremendous experience to the role of IVP for Asia, and the International Leadership team is blessed to add her wisdom to the team as GB moves forward in this next phase of mission. As a teacher she brings a wealth of knowledge to the team, and has travelled around Asia supporting the extension of our mission into Thailand, Cambodia and more recently into Indonesia.
‘The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.’
Psalms 145:8-9 NIV
As we begin a new year, let us keep this verse in our hearts and allow God’s love to shine forth from us. ‘The Lord is good to all, He has compassion on all he has made.’
Compassion is kindness and love in action. If we are to be ambassadors for Christ, kindness and love should be evident in our daily interaction with others. To be kind, nurturing and effective leaders, we must first of all believe in and receive God’s love and complete acceptance of us. When we are able to love and accept ourselves, we will be able to reflect and show God’s love to those in our care.
Just as a farmer needs to pull out the old weeds, till the soil, remove the rocks and prepare the ground for planting fresh crops at the start of a new season, we need to prepare our hearts for the year ahead. The weeds would be the hurts, rejection, criticisms, anger and bitterness we encountered or inflicted on others throughout the past year. We need to put them all behind us and ask God to remove all these negative feelings. We need to release forgiveness, be reconciled and respond instead with kindness and love. If we don’t, they will be rocks that will continually hinder us from moving forward.
Let’s focus on being intentional in showing compassion to all. By showing kindness and love, we provide an environment for growth in our lives as we allow the love of God into our hearts.
Love can take root in our hearts and this will in turn, control our thoughts and words. Anger and bitterness will no longer rule our tongues. We will be more accepting of others and be able to release forgiveness and move forward with God’s love in our hearts.
The greatest commandment is: ‘Love God with all our heart and soul and mind. Love your neighbour as yourself.’
Love helps us to speak with kindness and blessings into negative situations. As God’s people, we need to model this love consistently to all. Showing compassion and forgiveness is a reflection of our good, kind and loving God and makes a greater impact on the people we interact with.
Kindness and forgiveness are the two big building blocks in life we want to have. Let us treat others with care and consideration, readily forgiving mistakes made, continually helping them grow to be better people.
Kindness springs from a heart of love. It shows no impatience or rudeness when you are inconvenienced by someone who is weaker and slower, younger or older or different from you. Often, our thoughtless words and critical comments cause others to feel hurt n rejected.
Instead of reacting to things with anger and cynicism, let us respond positively and lovingly.
Let us be intentional and choose to think well of others and to speak kindly.
In our homes, schools, work places and community, let’s choose to make showing love and kindness, our way of life.
May God help and bless us all as we grow to be more like Jesus and bring joy into the lives of many.
‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ Ephesians 4:32
‘But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’
1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV
