How Low Will You Go

Day 1 - Parking Lot

“Love is kind.” 1 Corinthians 13:4

The other day I was circling the Costco parking lot with all the other vehicle vultures praying to find a spot within a mile radius of the entrance. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted someone getting into their car right in front of the entrance. No one else seemed to notice, so with a “Thank you Jesus!” I whipped around, maneuvered into the right hovering zone, put on my blinker and cheerfully awaited my prize.

Just then, in my rearview mirror, I noticed a little old lady timidly pull up behind me. She looked a little frazzled and a little frail. As she waited patiently for me to claim my spot and move out of her way, God began to speak to my heart about giving this spot to her.

My first reaction was, “But Lord, I just prayed and You provided.” It was as if He answered back, “Yes, I provided you an opportunity to do something kind.”

How do you argue with that?

So I pulled past the now vacant spot and motioned her in with a wave and a smile. The look on her face was well worth the walk from the outer reaches of the parking lot.

Where patience seeks to do no harm, kindness actively seeks to do what helps. It does nice things with no other motive than to bless and benefit another—no strings attached. God is the ultimate giver of kindness. Every day He gives the warmth of sunshine, the beauty of sunsets, the joy of friends and family, breath in our lungs, food in our bellies, and countless other expressions of kindness—all with no strings attached. He is an abundantly, extravagant giver of good things for us to enjoy. He loves us that much.

The kindness of love is best expressed in the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” Kindness isn’t about repaying those who have been kind to you first. It’s about taking the initiative and not looking for repayment.

So what does kindness look like? It looks like buying coffee for the person behind you in line at Starbucks. It looks like mowing your neighbor’s lawn as you mow your own. It looks like sending someone a text just to tell them how much you appreciate them. It looks like staying after hours to help a coworker finish an important project. Kindness is one of the most profound expressions of love, simply because it has no strings attached.

Challenge: Take a moment and tell God 5 things that you are thankful for today. Then, today, decide to do something kind for someone—no strings attached! Buy a stranger a cup of coffee at Starbucks, send an encouraging text to a friend, or simply ask God to show you someone to be kind to. When they ask you why you are doing it, just tell them that it’s because Jesus loves them.

Has God done something in and through you as a result of this devotional? Tell us your story today! www.sdrock.com/mystory