Try A Little Kindness

Today we are going to look at: Jesus showing his love by his actions.

Object: A greeting card, a box of candy, or some small gift item you might give to someone.

Scripture: That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. Mark 1:32-34a (NIV)

How do you show someone that you care about them? (Give the children time to respond.) Those are all great ideas! Here is a list of ten things that you might do to show someone you care about them. 

Listen to what they have to say.

Say, "Thank you" when they do something nice for you.

Forgive them when they do something that hurts your feelings.

Put their needs ahead of your own.

Write them a kind note.

Give them a gift for no reason at all.

Offer encouragement when they are discouraged.

Volunteer to help them when they have a difficult task.

Invite them to do something special with you.

Share a snack with them.

There are many ways we can show someone that you care about them. The best way is by the nice things that we do for them each and every day. When someone is sick, a visit from a friend might do them more good than a dose of medicine. When someone is sad or having a bad day, a smile and a friendly "hello" would surely brighten their day. Have you ever seen someone sitting all alone at school who doesn't seem to have very many friends? If you sat down and talked to them, it just might make them feel as if someone cares about them. A simple act of kindness can say a lot more than a gift.

Jesus was always kind and helpful to the people he met. One day he was in the home of Simon Peter. Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever. Jesus went into the room where she was and took her by the hand and helped her out of bed. When Jesus touched her, the fever left her immediately. Later that evening people brought everyone who was sick and those who were demon-possessed so that Jesus could heal them. The Bible says that the whole town was gathered around outside the door. Jesus healed the sick and drove out evil spirits. Jesus showed his love by caring for those who needed his healing touch.

The next time you want to let someone know how much you care for them, remember that we show others we care, not just by sending them gifts, but by showing acts of kindness each and every day—just like Jesus did.  Can you do that for me?