Kindness – Kindness That Notices (365/204)
- 39 minutes ago
- 2 min read
We are quick to notice the people who matter to us, who bring us joy. But how often do we notice those whose needs are inconvenient or whose burdens are quietly carried?
“The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” (Ruth 2:12)
The Bible in the book of Ruth, tells of a foreign widow in a vulnerable position, who entered Boaz’s field with little more than the legal right to glean. Boaz saw more than a woman gathering scraps - he saw vulnerability and responded with extraordinary kindness (Ruth 2:5–12). He went beyond minimum obligation - he instructed his workers to protect Ruth, offered her water, invited her to his table, spoke words of encouragement, and ordered them to leave extra grain for her (Ruth 2:8–16). His kindness met her need without diminishing her dignity.
Jesus noticed those others overlooked - the sick, the hungry, the outcast and the sinner - and He looked upon them with kindness and compassion (Matthew 9:36). Having received the immeasurable kindness of God through Christ (Ephesians 2:7), may we let that same kindness shape how we see and respond to people around us.
Pause and Ponder
Who might I be overlooking because their needs are inconvenient or easy to ignore?
Do I see what I have as something to possess, or as something God has entrusted me to share?
What would kindness beyond the minimum look like for someone God brings across my path today?
When Christ reshapes our hearts, His kindness begins to shape our actions.
Gracious God, give me eyes to notice those others overlook and a heart that reflects Your kindness through my words, choices and actions. Amen.
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