Lesson 5
I. Introduction Proverbs 31:10-31, Col. 3:12-16, 2 Pet. 1:5-8,
Luke 6:35-36, Eph. 4:23.
Kindness is defined as a friendly feeling, benevolence, humanity,
generosity, charity. Being kind is defined as of a good nature
or disposition,loving, tender and compassionate. When you show
kindness to others the joy that we feel toward others and ourselves
will increase.
II. Smile at strangers, look into their eyes and say hello.
Have you ever noticed or thought about how little eye contact
most of us have with strangers? Why? Are we afraid of them? What
keeps us from opening our hearts to people we don't know?
I don't know all the answers to these questions, but there is virtually always a parallel between our attitudes toward strangers and our overall level of happiness. In other words, it's unusual to find a person who walks around with their head down, frowning and looking away from people, who is secretly a peaceful, joyful person.
It is suggested that if we think of strangers as being a little
more like ourselves and treat them not only with kindness and
respect, but with smiles and eye contact as well, you'll probably
notice some pretty nice changes in yourself. You may begin to
see that most people are just like ourselves. Most of them have
families, people that they love, troubles, concerns, likes, dislikes,
fears, and so forth. You may also notice how nice and grateful
people can be when you are the first to reach out!
III. Set aside quiet time, every day
I Thess. 4:11, I Tim. 2:3, I Pet. 3:4, Psa. 22:26, 25:9, 37:11,
147"6, Matt. 5:5, 11:29. One of my favorite times of the
day is in the early morning. It's quiet and solitude is rejuvenating
and peaceful. It can be a time to reflect, work or simply enjoy
the quiet. We must, in these busy times, carve out time in our
day for a little quiet. In my job, there comes a time toward the
end of the school year, that I become so overwhelmed by the sheer
magnitude of sound that I have endured that I must have quiet
time. There are times that I find myself in the car on the way
somewhere, turning off the radio, and enjoying the silence. Spending
a little time in nature, reflecting on God's creation, locking
the bathroom door and taking a ten-minute bath, or spending time
alone helps to balance the noise and confusion that infiltrate
much of the day.
IV. Become a better listener
Psa. 39:1-2, Ecc. 12:11. Many of us grow up believing that we
are good listeners. However, if we examine ourselves, we may find
that we are only adequate listeners. Effective listening is more
than simply avoiding the bad habit of interrupting others (we
will talk about this at a later date). Effective listening is
being content to listen to the entire thought of someone rather
than waiting impatiently for your chance to respond.
In some ways, the way we fail to listen is symbolic of the way we live. We treat communication as if it were a race. It's almost like our goal is to have no time gaps between the conclusion of the sentence of the person we are speaking with and the beginning of our own.
Have you ever listened as a group of people were speaking and
noticed that no one is really listening to one another; instead
they are taking turns not listening to one another. Slowing down
your responses (see lesson 1) and becoming a better listener aids
you in becoming a more peaceful person. It takes the pressure
from you. If you think about it, you'll notice that it takes an
enormous amount of energy and is very stressful to be sitting
at the edge of your seat trying to guess what the person is going
to say, so that you can fire back your response. If you will wait
for the people you are communicating with to finish, as you listen
more intently to what they are saying, you'll notice the pressure
you had felt is diminished. you will feel more relaxed, and so
will the people that you are talking to. They will feel safe in
slowing down their own responses because they won't feel in competition
with you for "air time"! not only will becoming a better
listener make you a more patient person but others will listen
more intently to what you say. This might help in your sharing
the gospel with others and eventually cause them to listen more
intently to what God says. Everyone loves to talk to someone who
truly listens to what they are saying.
Happy Verses: Psalms 4:8, 29:11, 34:14, 37:37.