Let's Be Kindness Junkies

A "junkie" is someone consumed by an addiction. What a difference it would make if we were all addicted to being kind -- just can't help ourselves. It's who we are and what we do. A few days ago I told the story of our helping a lady whose keys were locked in her car and her cell phone was dead. She was so relieved when we showed up to help her. But, what if we had parked in another location or what if we were so into ourselves in conversation that we didn’t even notice her?

I believe we are all God’s messengers on assignment when we leave our homes (or even in our homes when we sense a nudge to encourage a family member or call someone to encourage them). Most of the time, kindness always begins with our eyes — the way we observe the world and are sensitive to the needs of other people.

That's what I caught when reading about the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:33: “When HE SAW the man’s condition, his heart was filled with pity”. Notice that “he saw.” That's our starting point. If we want to learn to be a kinder person, our world view must change to being an observer of the needs around us. When we're in a hurry -- kindness opportunities evade us. If we're wanting to be a "kindness junkie", then we must slow down! Distractions are the death of kindness.

1 Corinthians 10:24 says “Look out for the good of others”. The first step to kindness is to ask God to give us a sensitive, spiritual radar to be on the lookout for people around us who are hurting emotionally, spiritually, and physically. To be on high alert for the opportunity to spread a little kindness with our words and our actions.

I'm determined to be a kindness junkie. I want to be aware of those who need kindness ministered to them. I want a bumper crop of kindness to harvest. It’s not always easy to see the needs of other people, especially when they’re on the other side of the road. But it’s the starting point of kindness. Maybe it’s time to slow down and even stop to smell the roses because the roses we smell, might be someone who needs Jesus in human flesh.

What SUPPLEMENTS Do You Take?

From the looks of this photo, you’d think I am a supplement and vitamin junkie. Well, I guess I am and this case of pills and capsules proves it. Many years ago I realized the health and nutrition benefits from a regime of daily supplements that include vitamins, minerals, herbals, and fish oils. Most recently, at my doctor’s advice, I added cranberry tablets (I learned I needed that one from two UTI bouts) and a probiotic (I needed that one for IBS). Thank God that they’re all natural supplements and I don't have to be on any kind of drugs or medication. I was dramatically healed from a diagnosis of osteoarthritis when I was told that I would forever have to only control it with pain meds. I never had that prescription filled because I discovered nutritional products that gave me what I needed. Thus, those supplements have been my mainstay for over 16 years. I’ll admit my meal selection isn’t always the most nutritional, so supplements help with balancing out what I missed.

Supplement: something that completes or enhances something else when added to it.

This post was inspired by a scripture I read a couple of days ago. It was 2 Peter 1:5-7 “ For this very reason, make every effort to SUPPLEMENT your faith with virtue (moral character) and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance godliness, and godliness with brotherly kindness, and brotherly kindness with love.”

It’s a habit and daily ritual for me to take my supplements. I know how much they add to my overall well-being and health. If I fail to maintain that daily habit, I feel it in a lack of energy and little aches that creep in. And, in adding the SUPPLEMENTS mentioned in this scripture to my FAITH diet (virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly kindness), my ability to overcome fear, anxiety, worry, envy, selfishness, anger, weakness….is strengthened. When I do my part with the SUPPLEMENTS, then I am growing stronger in body and spirit.

Night before last I attended a meeting of about 15 people and we were all given the opportunity to offer a praise report for what God had done in and through us over the last week. Each one of us had something to share about God’s goodness. I left that meeting realizing my life had been SUPPLEMENTED with a celebration of gratitude. My daily devotion time with God SUPPLEMENTS my spiritual growth. Mentoring and being mentored SUPPLEMENTS my desire to grow in God and help others to do so, too. Bible Studies and prayer groups SUPPLEMENT our faith and fortify it to grow stronger.

Peter, in that scripture above, gave us some wise counsel about growing in faith. We won’t grow without deliberate discipline and effort. Isn’t it interesting that Peter, known for being impulsive and reckless, gave us a deliberate, disciplined SUPPLEMENT to our spiritual growth? If Peter, that impulsive fisherman could become a disciplined, fearless, godly man, then so can we.
Having a healthy physical AND spiritual life is a daily process of intentional and purposeful action – like a diet or exercise program. It only shows results when we practice it consistently and stick with it over the long haul. If we’re not making health or spiritual progress, then we’re not taking our SUPPLEMENTS.