What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
 James 2:14-17

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Last year, I needed a new lanyard for school so I went where everyone goes when they need something—Amazon. There was no lack of options. Plain lanyards. Sparkly ones. Options with well-known characters. One in particular stood out to me. It was white with pastel words that read “Be Kind.” I pridefully thought the students in my class could use this lesson. Complete with a badge holder that has “Be Kind” written on the back, I knew this was the one for me—or them.

Later that school year, I sat in my car with my “Be Kind” lanyard lying across my new “Be Kind” shirt, and I had a realization. I needed to be kind, too. The stress of that year had gotten to me. Many days, I walked into the building with a short fuse. Sarcastic comments overtook kind words. Short tempers replaced patience. And judgmental looks outdid smiles. It was true my students could use a reminder to be kind, but it was also true that their teacher could use the same reminder.

I’m never going to walk into school as the perfect teacher, and we’ll never walk into church as the perfect Christians. I realized my hypocrisy in wanting to preach kindness when I wasn’t showing it myself. It can be easy to point a finger at others for messing up without realizing we, too, are in the very same place.

I moved into a new classroom this school year. While I was unpacking, I found a poster that read, “Do everything with kindness.” My first thought was to put the words in a prominent spot—somewhere the kids could see them every day to help them remember. After picking the perfect place, it didn’t feel right, so I moved the poster behind my desk. Who really needed to see those words? I did.

Even with the best intentions, I’m not going to do everything with kindness this school year. I’ll fall short—many times—but I’m acknowledging where I’m at so I can move forward. Our church buildings are full of imperfect messed-up people. That’s who Jesus came to save. Thankfully, we can invite Jesus into our imperfections, draw from his strength, and make steps toward overcoming our shortcomings together.

Next Steps

Spend time in prayer asking God to reveal an area of growth for you. What is one step you can take to grow in that area?