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If you have been watching the news lately you see that there is a lot of turmoil in the world. 

There is rampant fear, wars and rumors of wars in distant countries  as well as unsettling events that are taking place right here in the United States of America.  There are people who are starving to death, mass murders and families against families.  It is a horrific thing when a loved one dies, when a family business closes or when a divorce takes place.  The very fabric of families is being ripped apart without any thought.  Friends who have had deep long-lasting relationships for decades decide over some trivial matter to dissolve over nothing.  None of us are immune.  It is happening around us and in many cases to us.  Chalk it up to a world full of “craziness,” but people are speaking to each other as if their neighbor/family has no value. 

The Word tells us, be kind to one another.  Proverbs 11:17  says, “Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.” Proverbs 15:1 reads, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but hard words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:4 states, “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”

Unfortunately, there have been times in my life when I have not always spoken to people the way that I should. I am in a hurry and thinking only about the task at hand. Or I have not received the type of attention that I wanted and my feathers got ruffled.  I’ll be honest. When people have been ugly to me, I did not always feel like “turning the other cheek.”

However, that does not negate that God desires me to be kind.  In fact, God has a way of cheering me on, if you will – to be kind. 

God in His very nature is kind.  The Psalms tells us, The Lord is kind and merciful!  As a believer, kindness is something that manifests the closer I get to God.  Galatians 22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.” During those times when I have failed to be kind, God forgave me and most of the time people forgave me and I even learned to forgive myself.  Other times I have gone out of my way to be kind and it was rewarding. Yes it did nourish my soul.  Be encouraged. God has given us what we need to be kind.  It is up to each one of us to choose to be kind, even when we just do not feel like it.

Yvette Perrin is a columnist for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.