Hands-on Faith for Families
Week of 3/11/13
Choosing to be Kind
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Talking to God
Ask God to help you choose to be kind, especially when you don't feel like it.
Diving In
Place a baseball cap or other hat in the center of the table and gather around as a family. Ask one family member to put on the hat — signifying that she is going to share a compliment about someone else in the group. After she has shared the kind remark, she'll pass the hat to the person she complimented, who will then compliment another family member. Continue the game until each person has had at least two turns wearing the hat and saying something kind.
Going Deeper
Being kind is a choice. You make choices every day — some big and some small. Think about all the choices you've made in the last 30 minutes. Which food to eat first at dinner, whether to sit on the floor or stay in your chair for this devotion, and who to share compliments about — those were all choices. God wants you to choose to be kind. The Bible tells about a kind man named Boaz who shared his harvest by letting a poor woman named Ruth gather from his fields (Ruth 2:8). Sometimes kindness is a choice to share what you have with someone in need. Other times, it's a decision to encourage someone with a sincere compliment.
Talking to Each Other
• Does God care about whether we are kind to others? How do you know? (Matthew 25:31-40)
• What are some ways you can show kindness to those around you every day?
From Focus on the Family's Thrivingfamily.com. © [2011] [Bridgette Booth]. Used by permission.
