Be Kind
BRD REFLECTIONS
(Cheryl Seow, Local Church Coordinator, Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS))
READ:
Ruth 2 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth had gone through a challenging period in their lives. Naomi had lost her husband and two sons, and Ruth had lost her husband. Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, just as the barley harvest was beginning. Even though Ruth was a new resident of Bethlehem, Boaz showed Ruth much kindness. He let Ruth work in his field, offered her water to drink, and bread and roasted grain to eat. Ruth knew Boaz was a kind man. Ruth said to Boaz in verse 13, “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant – though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.” Even Naomi remarked of his kindness, in verse 20, “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead”.
APPLY:
The examples of Boaz’s kindness remind me of the following verses:
- Be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
- Blessed is the one who is kind to the needy (Proverbs 14:21)
- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness and faithfulness (Galatians 5:22)
As I ruminate on Ruth 2 and these verses, I recall the times when kindness was shown to me and how blessed I have been to receive such kindness, even though I may not deserve it. I am also reminded of the many missed opportunities I had to show kindness and compassion to others. Being kind in the heart also means having the grace and compassion to forgive others. After all, Jesus never failed to show kindness and compassion to others, including sinners and those who sinned against Him. His ultimate act of kindness was to die on the Cross for us to save us from our sins!
DO:
I am reminded as a Jesus follower to be kind, both in my thoughts and deeds, especially with my family and at the workplace. I would like to be intentional about being kind to others, and for my words and thoughts to be seasoned liberally with grace. Even though I may face challenges interacting with certain family members, I will continue to seek God’s guidance and prompting, with the confidence that God is there for me, watching over me and cheering me on to execute His commands.
PRAY:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the story of Ruth and Boaz and for showing me how simple acts of kindness can be so impactful upon others’ lives. Thank you for being a kind, compassionate, and gracious God. Please forgive me for the times I have failed to show kindness or when I have thought unkind thoughts. Help me, Father, to be more like Jesus – to be kind to others, especially my family. For every kind thought and deed that I do, it is done for Your honour and glory. Amen.
