Today is World Kindness Day.
This holiday was created with the intent of building a kinder and more compassionate world through the intentional deeds of kindness and love we show to others.
That’s a worthy goal.
It’s all too easy to view such a day with pessimism. In our self-focused society—driven by the need to get ahead—kindness and compassion are often met with scorn and derision. They’re seen as signs of weakness. If our actions don’t benefit us in some way, then they’re a waste of our time. Build a kinder and more compassionate world? What’s the point?
Dear Christian, we have an opportunity to be different, to be kind and compassionate. We know the world won’t become better in the way that so many people hope for. We live in a sinful world, filled with sinful people—ourselves included. People will always be self-serving until the day Christ comes to make all things new.
Our God shows us a different way—a better way that goes against every fiber of our sinful selves. A way of service. Jesus sets the pattern for us—contrary to the world’s pattern.
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45).
The image that comes to my mind is a washbasin filled with dirty water. A towel wrapped around the waist of our Lord, as he kneels in service to his own disciples. It’s the night before he’ll die on the cross for the sins of the whole world—yours and mine included—and what’s he doing?
Washing feet. Serving others. Putting their needs—however small—ahead of his own.
But that’s the pattern of our Savior’s whole life. The Son of Man came to serve. Every breath, every thought, every action, every prayer, every moment of every single day. He showed us kindness and compassion when we knew him not, when we deserved it not. He was often met with scorn and derision and seen as weak. He didn’t care.
He did it for us.
He did it to free us from the chains of sin that held us fast. He did it to turn our eyes away from ourselves to behold his glorious face. He did it so we might see that, in him, we are free. And if the Son sets us free, by God’s grace, we are free indeed. As the apostle Paul wrote, we aren’t to use our freedom for ourselves. Rather, we are to serve one another through love (Galatians 5:13).
We are free to serve—to show kindness and compassion to the people around us. Is it difficult? Are there times when we fail? Absolutely. But we’ve been called to serve. With God’s help, that’s what we’ll do. As Paul wrote elsewhere, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Today is World Kindness Day. This is the gift we get to share, dear Christian.
We live our lives for Christ, following what he tells us in his Word. That’s done out of love for him. To learn more about Christian living and how you can show your love to others, we encourage you to read Sanctification by Pastor Lyle W. Lange.
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.