The first verse I ever memorized was Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good for those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” To be honest, at the time, I didn’t understand that the end of the verse, makes the first part of the verse true. Still, recently I was reminded again of the enormous power that “good” has in this world. I usually catch up with the news each morning. Sometimes that isn’t a great way to start my day. But yesterday morning I saw a report on Good Morning America about a girl named Meghan Vogel. You should definitely take the time to watch it. Meghan, a 17-year old, was competing in a track meet. She had placed first in an earlier race that day, but was in last place running a subsequent race. Arden McMath was in front of her, second to the last, when she began to struggle and collapse. So Meghan picked her up, carried her to the finish line, and made certain that she crossed that line first. It is a great story, and a great video. And what she did made national news. The video is being watched by thousands. The reason I decided to “blog” about Meghan is because I was surprised, not by the video, but by the overwhelming reaction that people have had to this display of kindness. There is power in doing good. In a culture that seems to be on a downward path, kindness, compassion, selflessness – just doing good – makes a person stand out from the crowd. Today, your kindness, may be your most powerful witness. Jesus said it was the “sum” of all the commandments.
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{/source}I like to think of the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus, standing in front of his disciples and the large crowd gathered, teaching them, and us, what a Christian life should look like. Take the time to read Matthew 5-7 with that in mind. Picture Jesus, looking straight at you, saying, “This is what your life should consist of.” Towards the end of his sermon he tells us, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Today if you will treat people like you WISH they would treat you, you can go to sleep tonight knowing you spent your day like Jesus told you to. Kindness, in our culture today, may be your most powerful witness.
Peter said, (and be careful to note the progression in this verse): “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7).
I especially like the emphasis, “Make every effort . . .”
Paul said, “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12.) In other words, wear Jesus on the outside. His Presence in your life is your witness.
I don’t know if Meghan Vogel is a Christian, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she is. When she bent down to pick up her “competition” and made certain to put her first, she showed the world what Jesus would have done if He had been running that race. Why don’t we all look for moments to do what is kind, and good, and compassionate? Moments to be the hands, feet and heart of Jesus in this world. As you go through your day, wear Jesus on the outside. In today’s culture, your kindness will be a powerful witness for God and an opportunity to glorify his Son. Have a “kind” day.
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