April 12, 2016 -- Be Kind

Lisa led us in studying the next section of Titus 2, our call to be kind/good.  (The words can be used interchangeably here.)  Lisa noted that the word here denotes an active kindness.  We need to have an attitude of kindness, but that attitude ought to come out in our actions.  She used the example of Tabitha (Dorcas) from Acts 9 to demonstrate the meaning.  Tabitha was a follower of Christ whose life was full of good works and acts of charity.

To whom are we to show kindness?  Galatians 6:10 instructs us to show kindness to the people of the church.  Proverbs 31:20 tells us to show kindness to the poor and needy.  Our enemies are to receive our kindness according to Luke 6:32-35.  Finally, and perhaps the most difficult for us sometimes,  we are to show kindness to our families.

Sometimes we are unkind to people in our family because they have hurt us, so we withdraw from them and ignore needs that they may have.  Sometimes we take our family members for granted.  Sometimes we are so caught up in the duties of keeping our homes and training our children that we forget that we ought to be doing those duties out of a heart of kindness.  Lisa reminded us of the end of our Titus 2 verses "...train the young women to...be kind...that the word of God may not be reviled."  As homeschooling moms, our family is our mission field.  We need to remember that our lack of kindness to our families, and especially our children, may eventually cause those we love to revile the word of God.  She encouraged us to be shining examples of kindness to our families who beautifully reflect the love and kindness of God (who is kind even to the unthankful and evil - Luke 6). 

At the end of the meeting, we discussed together ways that we can show kindness to our families.  Some ideas that were shared are:
1) Think about enjoying your kids.  Then it's easier to be kind to them instead of viewing them as an interruption to your day.
2) When you feel like yelling at your kids, hug them instead.
3)  Pray for God to make us kind and good.
4)  Remember that moms are the thermostats of their homes -- we set the mood.
5) Be accessible.  "Mom" is your refuge, the one who is always there.  We need our moms to take time to listen to us even as adults; our children need that, too.
6) Figure out your children's love languages and speak them.  (See The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell.)