Tag: Character

Kindness is one of the most valuable gift you will ever give someone.  No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.  I’m sure you’ve heard however the saying, don’t take my kindness for a weakness.  You’ve probably even had to tell a few people those exact words a time or two.  This is basically saying that just because I am nice, I will not be taken advantage of.  Now, lets look at the flip side of this.  Why are you nice? We were all taught the golden rule growing up, treat others how you want to be treated.  So, are you nice because you want others to be nice to you? Are you nice because you are expecting something in return? Or are you nice because that is just who you are?  The best obvious answer of course would be because that’s just who you are.  Ok, got it. So let me give you this scenario and see if this gets you thinking…
There’s a person who you help out, give things too and consider to be a friend.  You see them one day and they act as if they don’t even know who you are.  Not only do they not speak, but when you speak to them, they look you dead in the eye and completely ignore you.   What is your initial response?  Do you get mad because of how “kind” you were to them? If the answer is yes, which let’s just be honest, that’s going to be most people’s answer, than you have to go back to my initial question.  Why are you nice? My point here is that you have to acknowledge that good or bad sometimes our behavior is motivated.  Motivated by what, just depends on the person.  If your motives are truly right, then the behavior of other people won’t determine whether you are nice or nasty.  You will keep being you because that’s just who you are.  Kindness is a character trait.  It is not something you can simply take off the shelf and put it on like an outfit when you feel like it.  If you are doing that, then guess what, being kind is just not apart of who you really are.
So if someone I’ve been kind to stops speaking to me or acts if they don’t know me, I have decided that I will take that as a lesson learned about them.  I will not allow it to hinder me from being me and showing kindness towards other people.  As I’m writing this, I have to admit this is truly a tough pill to swallow, but I know that with the help of God nothing is impossible.  Even concerning my emotions and especially concerning my character.  The bible says that we are the likeness of Christ, and I believe wholeheartedly that in doing so, there are certain things about me that I am just going to have to get together.  This issue I’m talking about today is one of them.  You don’t like anyone so much that you allow them to pull you away from the likeness of Christ.  Be thankful when you learn who people are for real, but I’ll say it again, don’t let that change who you are.