| “… since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” |
| —1 John 4:11 |
Have you noticed how easy it is to reciprocate certain behaviors? If someone treats you with kindness, it becomes so much easier to treat him or her with kindness in return.
During the last twenty years of my full-time working career, from 1983 through 2003, I traveled extensively in the United States. For most of those years, I was “on the road” 39 weeks out of 52, teaching seminars, investigating large fire losses, and attending fire protection committee meetings of the National Fire Protection Association and of other organizations.
I traveled mostly by air and became all too familiar with handling canceled flights. I quickly learned that treating airline personnel with kindness usually resulted in them treating me with kindness in return.
That same principle applies in our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. God has dealt with us in such a kind and loving way that it should become easy for us to show His love and His kindness to others. The Apostle John wrote these words in 1 John 4:11-12:
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
By the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have the opportunity during each new day to extend God-breathed love to everyone who crosses our pathway. So, let’s make a conscious effort to see those around us through God’s eyes of love, compassion, and kindness.
Just imagine how pleased our heavenly Father will be when He sees us loving others because He first loved us, extending kindness because He has extended kindness to us, and showing compassion because He has shown compassion to us. He will certainly delight in knowing that we have chosen to follow His pathway of love, compassion, and kindness.
Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, January 25, 2016
