Prayer for My Children Day 14

Day 14: Kindness "Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else (1 Thess. 5:15).

My good friend and my son's old preschool teacher Jill says it the best, "Treat others the way you want to be treated!" Isn't that the virtue for all relationships? Even now, my boys know and repeat this phrase. I also want to add, "treat yourself as you want others to treat you".

We want to be treated well, fairly, and justly. But the bible tells us to not repay anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone (1Thess 5:15). Always? No matter what?

When we feel like we've been treated wrongly, only very few of us would choose repay evil with good. We feel we deserve more. We feel we should get a better deal. When we have consumer mentality, we become reacters rather than responders. Reacters by nature give up their power to choose their response. They react when the counterpart pushes their button- reactive not proactive. So, I'll be kind when you are first kind to me is reactive not proactive. This can be a difficult concept especially in a marriage relationship. Often time, both the wife and husband think they deserve more. More respect, more love, more of everything because the other person is suppose to be more loving and understanding. And for some of us, it's easier to show kindness to others than to ourselves. We become oppressive and harsh with ourselves. We are self critical, negative, and unforgiving. I think I used to one of those people. Perhaps when we feel we didn't get enough grace and kindness from others, we blame ourselves and become more critical of ourselves. Critical spirit can shut us in to be harsh to ourselves and others. God is gracious.