Christianity is a loving, caring, and kind religion. The Bible encourages us to follow the example of Jesus’ life as a guide, so we can do just that.
Yes, there are some things that Jesus did that we probably can’t do exactly (although it would be great if we could heal any health condition with one touch!). But there are plenty of other examples of teachings that show us how we can help other people. Yes, it’s about doing the right thing – the tough bit is doing that thing even when we don’t feel like it!
Even when Jesus wanted to be alone, he had compassion and would heal the sick who were being brought to him. He also made sure people had enough food to eat. But he wasn’t a showman – he healed people away from the crowds and asked people not to make a fuss about it. His greater focus was that people should believe in God and lead good lives.
You may want to keep all the money you make for yourself. You may even cheat the system to try and get even more. But that probably won’t help us in the long run. Jesus explains that those who help others are the greatest of people. We can take inspiration from the way of Jesus by sharing what we have with others. Jesus spoke of helping people who are in need: the hungry, thirsty, lonely, sick, and those unfairly treated.
Working and paying taxes may sound dull but even doing this means we can all benefit from a health system if we’re ill; emergency services when we need help; rubbish collections so our streets are clean; and street lighting so we can walk more safely at night! And perhaps we can each do even more than this?
How about an example?
Dani, the owner of the shop, had gone out and left Toni in charge. Toni had two choices of how to act. First, by being wise and loyal to Dani’s trust. Toni could ensure that all the other staff got their appropriate breaks, and be trustworthy in making sure everyone was doing their work. Or, without Dani there, Toni may choose to be mean to the other staff and bully them.
Which version of Toni do you think Dani will be most pleased with? Everyone is someone’s child, and everyone belongs to God – they are not objects for us to use or judge. We might be tempted to show off in front of other people or want to get our own way as the power goes to our head – the tougher path is to show compassion and understanding!
What should we do?
We all make mistakes and do stupid things. And we all want to be forgiven when we are truly sorry for anything we have done wrong. God forgives us when we ask for his forgiveness. So, remember this when someone is apologising to you: nobody’s perfect!
Jesus performed a miracle and was able to feed over 5000 people! Jesus said that we should give, and we will also receive – and how much we give affects how much we receive. This isn’t about repaying debts, as no one paid Jesus for the food he provided. And it’s not about only being kind to people who are kind to you – because wouldn’t anyone do that?! Besides, everything we have has been give to us thanks to the goodness of God. What sets apart true kindness is when we are kind without the expectation of kindness in return. Check out this page to know more!
A greedy person may hoard things. Or the lazy person takes whatever they can get for ‘free’. Then death takes all this material wealth away. So, what’s left? Really, your life has value (and heavenly value!) due to your kindness. Not being led by thinking only of yourself, but thinking of what others need too. And Jesus uses the example of a mustard seed, one of the smallest of seeds, to signify small things can grow into big things. So even small acts of kindness are great in God’s eyes!
What if this happened to you?
One day, Jo was at school. He was bullied by a group of kids in the hall. They called him names and stole his jacket. Then they ran off, leaving Jo sitting on the floor, upset and alone. Then, a student walked past. But they ignored Jo and kept walking – they were in a rush to get to lunch. Then another student walked by. They also ignored Jo and walked by – they didn’t want to be bothered. Still another student came by. But they did stop! They saw Jo sat on the floor, upset, and walked over. They helped Jo stand up and took them to a teacher so they could explain what had happened. This student let Jo use their coat and checked in the next day to see Jo was doing ok.
What now?
Check out what Light in your Life is and find out more about what God can do for you!
You could also take a look at the ‘Thought starters‘ and ‘Next Steps‘ pages!
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