Underestimated Virtue

2 Thessalonians 3:13 "As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good."

Have you ever stopped and wondered if perhaps we make being contagious with our faith more difficult than it ought to be?  I have.  Sometimes when you listen to Christians and activists talk, being faithful seems to require grand acts of self-surrender and a theology degree on top of it.  The fear of doing it wrong, saying something wrong, or messing something up often hinders people from living out their faith in an infectious way.  What if the starting point is a bit more simple? 

Some of the most contagious Christians I have been around were simple men and women.  They took a little extra time with the people they came in contact with.  They always learned the names of their servers at restaurants, called them by name and tipped them well.  They held doors for people with their hands full.  They covered someone buying groceries who came up a little short.  They mowed the lawn for their neighbors when they were on vacation.  They took groceries to the woman down the road that had trouble getting out of the house.  They never passed a lemonade stand without paying more for the cup than was asked.  They offered to watch the children of a couple who was going through tough times so they could be alone and talk.  They were contagious because they were kind. 

Nestled in the list of the fruit of the Spirit is the word "kindness" (Galatians 5:22).  We suffer from a deficiency of kindness in our world.  In that frantic and frenzied world that we talked about yesterday, we have a tendency to be too self-absorbed to take the necessary time to extend kindness.  When kindness is offered, most people wonder what strings are attached.  We blow past one another, eyes down scanning our electronic devices, avoiding eye contact, plugged in to the cyber world but detached from the surroundings around us.  We fail to recognize the underestimated value of the virtue of kindness.  It is a virtue practiced by the simple but contagious Christians who have learned the art of grace-filled, generous, compassionate full-presence. 

Full-presence is necessary for kindness.  You and I are rarely "fully-present" for anyone.  We are perpetually distracted by what's coming next, by the vibrations in our pockets alerting us to the next text message or status update.  Full-presence is the gift of awareness of our surroundings and the people with whom God has given us the privilege of encountering.  Kindness is the disposition of our lives that looks for opportunities to bless, to make others smile, to go the extra mile to make a difference.  When practiced regularly it catches the attention of others.  They notice a difference.  They anticipate your coming, because your coming brings joy.  When kindness is practiced it has a way of softening the rough edges of hardened hearts.  It breaks down barriers and witnesses to crumbling walls.  It establishes trust.  When practiced regularly it opens up doors for conversations and testimonies about the One who has made us kind. 

So if it's not that difficult...what act of kindness can you take today that may go a long way in the life of someone else?