"Love one another with brotherly affection. outdo one another in showing honor." - Romans 12:10
Is kindness something innate in us? Are we born "kind" people? My guess is no. We're selfish, sinful beings who mostly want our own way. More likely, kindness is a learned art...which means our sons are learning it from us.
It's quite challenging to learn how to be kind without receiving kindness. Our sons are looking to us for show them how it feels to receive kindness. Only then, can they know how important it is to share kindness.
Kind is not something that you just are. Kindness must be demonstrated or practiced. Proverbs 19:22 says, "That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness; and a poor man is better than a liar." It doesn't mean being kind to some and not to others. Our sons need to know that even a smile to a stranger can be an act of kindness that will drastically change the course of their day.
My son, Easton, is every bit the hustling-bustling, never-ending ball of energy that you expect a two-year-old to be. But he also exhibits kindness in ways that absolutely surprise me. He will willingly give his toys to his playmates without prompting. He is eager to get things that we need. Easton always has a smile on his face, and he seems to try hard to make his siblings happy.
Why is he, my fourth child, full of kindness at such a young age? I think he sees it exhibited in his older siblings. He sees them willing to share their toys with each other and him. He sees them smile at him just in an effort to make him smile. Easton knows what it is to receive kindness because he is surrounded by it every day.
Now don't get me wrong -- he most definitely sees his older siblings duke it out over a toy or the last granola bar. And he sees them treat each other with what is most definitely NOT kindness. But more times than not, Easton's heart is receiving it, and he's already doling it out in great quality.
In the LG, Brooke's encouragement comes from Sally Clarkson, author of The Mission of Motherhood. What she shares has actually been posted on the M.O.B. Society, so I'm providing the links for them here. Take a peek -- she wrote a two-part piece on the kind of hand our sons need. Both parts are well worth the time and effort spent devouring them.
Today, cover your sons with the ten prayers in the kindness chapter. I will be praying this with my sons today, so that they can hear what scripture says about kindness.
How do you exhibit kindness? How to you teach your sons to show kindness? Share your thoughts here or on the facebook group page.
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