Marriner’s Moment: Saving Mankind – Christ’s Act of Kindness – Pt. 3

Christ’s act of kindness to save mankind is the ultimate gift of love and sacrifice. There is nothing we can do to deserve that sacrificial love, but there are many things we can do to show our appreciation. We can demonstrate that we love Christ by making a conscious effort to get to know Him better and work toward building a deeper, more personal relationship with Him. This starts with reading His Word, praying to Him and obeying His Word.

We also have a myriad of opportunities to demonstrate Christ’s love for us, to others – if we take advantage of them. We can pray for others, encourage others, support and help one another, with no ulterior motive or expectation of receiving anything in return. Sacrifice doesn’t always have to mean giving up something monumental, but it may require giving up something that we value – for example, our time, our attention or our service and resources to others.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where time is at a premium. Many of us try to squeeze so much into one day that we have little or nothing left to give – to others or ourselves. With this in mind, we should get off life’s treadmill and ask ourselves if we are doing God’s will or just going through the motions of life. There are times when we are so busy being like ‘Martha,’ that we don’t take enough time to be still and sit at Jesus’ feet, as Mary did (Luke 10:38-42).

In an earlier segment, I mentioned the random act of kindness at a Starbucks drive-thru that snowballed into more than 400 customers paying it forward. Christ’s act of kindness was not random; it was deliberate. Moreover, unlike most of us, Christ is more interested in relationship than recognition. His agenda was simply to save mankind.

As Christ-followers we should strive to have a heart like Christ. We should strive to treat others with the same love, joy and patience that Christ shows toward us. That’s not always easy to do when someone cuts off in traffic or a customer service representative nonchalantly is rude or less than helpful. However, one of the marks of our spiritual maturity is when we refuse to allow others to make us react in a manner contrary to the person we are striving to become. Sometimes, that’s easier said than done, but with God’s grace and the indwelt Holy Spirit, it is possible to show Christ’s love and kindness in every circumstance.
”Peace and power.

© Dr. Melvin O. Marriner,
Grove Church
April 2017