We live in a world that celebrates speed, success and strength, but often forgets kindness. Yet it’s kindness that keeps humanity human. A kind word, a patient tone, a helping hand, these small gestures can turn an ordinary day into something sacred.
If kindness vanished from our world we’d feel the chill immediately. Imagine a day without smiles, patience or small courtesies; a day when no one holds a door, forgives a mistake or says ‘thank you’.
Life would quickly grow cold and hard.
That’s why I welcome World Kindness Day (13th November). A reminder that kindness still matters and that each of us can help restore it, one act at a time.
True kindness is generosity without an agenda. It doesn’t expect thanks, applause or reward. Kindness wears many faces. Sometimes it’s doing something – carrying a heavy bag, sending a note, making a call. Sometimes it’s refusing to do something – resisting gossip, holding back criticism or choosing silence over sarcasm. Kindness isn’t weakness. It takes courage to stay gentle in a harsh world. It takes humility to put others first. And here’s the beauty: kindness doesn’t shout, but its echo carries far.
Kindness in Action
A woman was stuck in heavy traffic on a freezing winter’s night when her car broke down. Horns blared, tempers flared and drivers swerved to avoid her. Out of nowhere a young man on a motorbike stopped, took off his helmet and helped push her car to safety.
When she thanked him, he smiled and said, ‘You’d do the same for me.’
She replied, ‘I hope I would.’
Someone filmed the moment, and it went viral because it reminded people that ordinary kindness still exists in a world that often forgets.
A single act of kindness may not change the whole world, but it can change someone’s world, and that’s where all change begins.
The Power of Kindness
Kindness is the oil that keeps relationships from seizing up.
It’s the soft answer that turns away anger, the gentle touch that heals unseen wounds, the bridge that spans misunderstanding. Where kindness flows, life flourishes. Where it dries up, hearts harden.
Many relationships – friendships, families, even marriages – don’t end with an explosion but with erosion. They wear down through a deficiency of kindness.
A gentle word, a patient pause, a forgiving heart, these are the quiet miracles that hold us together. And kindness blesses both sides. The giver feels lighter; the receiver feels valued. It’s the only investment that multiplies when you spend it. When you give kindness away, you don’t lose it, you plant it.
Kindness and the Character of God
The Bible overflows with kindness. The Hebrew word ḥesed, meaning loving-kindness or steadfast love, appears 245 times in the Old Testament. God describes himself as ‘compassionate and gracious . . . slow to anger, abounding in love’ (Exodus 34:6 NIV).
In the New Testament, Jesus said:
‘Love your enemies, do good to them . . . because [your Father] is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.’ (Luke 6:35 NIV)
And Paul urged believers:
‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ (Ephesians 4:32 NIV)
Jesus didn’t just preach kindness, he practised it. He touched the untouchable, noticed the invisible and loved the unlovely. His kindness crossed every boundary.
When Kindness Costs
Kindness isn’t always easy. It can drain our time, stretch our patience and bruise our pride. It’s easy to be kind to people who are pleasant, grateful and smell like roses; harder when they’re prickly, thankless or smell like last week’s laundry. But kindness isn’t a mood; it’s a decision.
It’s love in practical form; compassion with sleeves rolled up.
And when we choose kindness, we reflect the heart of Christ. It’s one of the nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). You can’t fake it, but you can grow it.
The Legacy of Kindness
At the end of our lives people won’t remember our titles, trophies or tweets.
They’ll remember how kind we were. Kindness is God’s fingerprint left on another person’s soul. It’s love made visible, grace in motion, faith with a smile.
So this World Kindness Day – or any day ending in ‘y’ – ask yourself:
- Who can I bless today?
- Whose burden can I lighten?
- Whose day can I brighten?
Then go and sprinkle kindness everywhere. Because when we sow kindness, we reap joy.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me such extraordinary kindness, love I didn’t earn yet freely received. Forgive me for the moments I’ve been cold or careless. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that kindness overflows in my words, my tone and my actions. May I see people as you see them, with compassion, patience and grace. Help me to sprinkle kindness wherever I go. Amen.
Grace and peace,
J.John
