We encounter all kinds of people every day. People we know, and people we don’t.
We meet people who are lonely, people who barely make ends meet, people who are overworked and tired, people who have no one, people who choose to be away from home to provide for their family, people who have lost a loved one, people who pushed back their dreams for someone else, people who endures an illness, people who are hiding a heartache behind a smile.
Each day we fall into different circumstances. And so are these people.
We smile on the outside and move on in life but we can never know whose world is actually upside down. Everybody has their own struggle.
So if you happen to meet someone… especially a difficult one, choose to be kind. Choose to understand because everyone is fighting their own battles. It’s not just you. I know it’s easier said than done. In a world where people claim pride and self-entitlement, kindness is getting more and more rare. It is observed as a trait of the weak. But when we realize how actually hard it is to be kind, we’ll see that kindness, rather, is a reflection of strength. It takes a strong and secure person to be kind to others especially when other people are not treating us well. It takes a lot of heart to understand and sympathize.
They say being kind is different from being nice. Being nice is to please other people; to put them at ease. Being kind is something that we have to do because it is the right thing to do, regardless if we are going to get anything from it or not. Being kind to someone is not necessarily because the other person deserves it but because it is what God expects from us. Christ sets us free not to be wicked, but to reflect His grace.
Mother Teresa puts it so well in a poem:
“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
Truth! At the end of the day, we are only accountable to Him. ❤
Have a great week friends! Let’s fill the earth with love and kindness.
