“THE WORD FOR THE YEAR IS KINDNESS!”
“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. (Lao Tzu. Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/kindness”)
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Colossians 3:12-13)
In 2017, my word for the year was “FOCUS!” I’m not sure how I did, but my wife says that I have done better on focusing. My wife is a very kind and compassionate person, but she isn’t prone to lying, so I assume that she is right.
The word for 2018 is KINDNESS.
My sponsor encouraged me some time ago to craft my own personal daily affirmations. This year he upped the ante: He suggested that I craft a master affirmation for the entire year—one that would enrich the daily affirmations. Below is my response to him this morning.
“I have thought about and prayed about your suggestion that I have a master affirmation for 2018. I have decided that I like the idea a lot. (I suspect that God likes it too.)
So, after some thought I have decided to pair it with another suggestion from a weekly newsletter I get from Jon Gordon (“Positive Tips” website.) Gordon suggests choosing one word for the year. . . .
The word for 2018 is “KINDNESS”.
So, with all that as preface, here is my master affirmation for the year:
THE WORD FOR THIS YEAR IS KINDNESS: KINDNESS RECEIVED AND KINDNESS GIVEN
AFFIRMATION FOR THE YEAR: This year, by God’s grace, I am consistently kind and obedient to God, appropriately kind to myself, and kind to all living things (which includes other people).”
Of course, it is much easier to be kind to God and others, when I realize that God is kind, and that God has shown me a great deal of kindness. And I do recognize God’s kindness, at least to some degree. So, the first thing I need to do is to meditate on God’s great kindness to me.
But even a realization of God’s kindness and the desire to be kind are not enough. Kindness takes daily practice. No one learns to cook or play the piano without regular, consistent practice. Why should kindness be any different?
I need to keep my eyes, ears, heart, and schedule open, so that I can be kind to others. Kindness is a costly business. Above all, it requires consistent focus. And I can assure you that this selfish, attention-deficit-person is not good at either consistency or focus.
Who knows? Maybe the 2017 emphasis on focus is a good preparation for 2018: The Year of Kindness!
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