Pastor Hoyte Wilhelm

“… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

It’s easy to get immersed in Valentine’s Day—a special day of giving gifts of love—roses, cards, and chocolates, and other such things. The Day has certainly developed far beyond what anyone could have imagined since it was attributed to Saint Valentine, a third-century Roman saint, commemorated on February 14 during the High Middle Ages in respect for traditions of courtly love.

Acts of love on Valentine’s Day can be expressions of Christian Love or Agape love: the love of God for humans and their reciprocal love for God, extending to the love of one’s fellow humans (paraphrased from the Britannica and Miriam-Webster dictionaries). Agape love is manifested through a love of God in Jesus Christ in our love for others and is experienced in actions of the Spirit, not the least of which is kindness, essential for all Christians as the Apostle Paul encouraged in his letter to the Galatians.

One of the beautiful things about Agape love is that it can be offered randomly anytime, anywhere, with anyone. An ideal time to be attentive to offering such love is during Random Acts of Kindness week, February 11-17, 2020.

I spent some time with the website and discovered a lot of good ideas and suggestions that connect well to living a Christian life with others in the Spirit of kindness. There are hundreds of examples on the website about how people can offer random acts of kindness. I’ve chosen three examples that may yield wonderful and reciprocating blessings of God’s love.

• “Leave a Generous Tip. Paying it forward never goes out of style. If you had service that went above and beyond (or you’re just having a good day), you owe it to your server to tip well. Many people in the service industry rely on tips to earn a livable wage. We all have bad days, even if your service was less than the best, so spread your kindness through generosity.”
• “Wheel Out Your Neighbor’s Trash Bin. We all get caught up in the busyness of our everyday lives, but it’s always nice to know your neighbors are willing to offer a helping hand when you forget to wheel your trashcan out for pickup. This RAK is easy, free, and takes about five minutes to complete…show some kindness to your neighbors by doing this simple favor.”
• “Write Down Someone’s Best Qualities. This can truly make someone’s confidence soar. How would you feel if someone handed you a list of all the things they loved about you? That’s right, amazing! Make someone you care about feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”

What are some other random acts of kindness that you might consider putting into practice this year?

Serving with You through the Love of Christ,

Pastor Hoyte