Day at the Races: The Far Turn! — Thursday
Ephesians 4:32
Instead, be kind to each other… (TLB)
We’ve been talking about midlife essentials this week. Yesterday, we talked about dispensing grace and peace. Today, I want to suggest the most essential ingredient in any relationship. Ready? It’s kindness. You’ll never be your best version of a parent if you don’t determine and decide to speak kindly to your kids. The same is true for a spouse, co-worker, relative, or friend.
Seems simple, doesn’t it? You know why? Because we haven’t really tried it for more than a few moments or days at a time. We haven’t made it a lifestyle; thus we haven’t swam in the deepest, freshest water of love.
Kindness has a good friend named “gentleness.” Paul called gentleness an evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Early in life, he was the proverbial “bull in a china shop.” (He would’ve loved James Taylor’s classic hit “Steamroller.”) But later, he got serious about following Jesus, and guess what? It transformed his entire life.
He later wrote to Timothy, “Be kind to everyone… Opponents must be gently instructed...” (2 Timothy 2:24-26, NIV). We don’t see that much these days, do we? Let me ask you this: Are we better… or worse for it?
See, we can’t talk about being kind, unless we are. We can’t talk about being gentle, unless we are. Here’s a question for you: On a scale of 1 to 10, what’s your kindness/gentleness level? Now, what are you going to do about it? This might be the most important decision we’ll ever make, especially in the middle years of life. Max Lucado calls it “being contagiously calm.” It’s someone whose life reminds us that God is truly in control. J.M. Barrie said, “[Always] be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”
You know what it takes to become kinder? Empathy. You know what it takes to develop empathy? Unconditional love.
Thursday’s Reflection
So there’s your prescription, friend, whether in the middle years of life or in whatever season you find yourself: Become kind and gentle. You don’t need to know much more than that or look for something better. Dear one, if you don’t learn these, you’ll likely miss all that matters most in virtually every relationship in your life. And if you miss it, don’t blame others… or a midlife crisis, okay?
