Patti Burris

I like the idea behind random acts of kindness, but I prefer to call them Intentional Acts of Love. The freedictionary.com defines random as having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective. On the other hand the same website defines intentional as something being done deliberately or on purpose. If the Holy Spirit dwells within us, then our acts of kindness will come from a heart of love. They will not be acts of kindness that have no specific pattern, purpose or objective. They will become acts of love done deliberately to glorify God and on purpose to bring the ministry of Jesus to a hurting world. Luke 10:27 says:

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Romans 13:8-10

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.  The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

When the Holy Spirit dwells within us, then we will be filled with love for God and love for other people, regardless of their race, socio-economic background or denominational ties. We will weep when others weep, we will rejoice when others rejoice, our hearts will be burdened to bring the lost sheep of the world back into the fold where they can be loved by a compassionate God. What can we do to act with love and bring Jesus to a hurting world? Listed below are some suggestions:

• Encourage someone who may be going through tough times.
• Mentor an at risk teen or child.
• Make blankets for the homeless.
• adopt an elderly person in a nursing home or in your neighborhood.
• clean the house of an elderly person or single mom.
• Bless a single mom with some mom time by taking the kids for a couple of hours or an afternoon.
• do errands for an elderly person or a person who has just had surgery.
• Take baked goods as a token of appreciation to your local fire station.
• Pick up trash in a park or a roadway.
• adopt a soldier.
• Buy a fast food gift card for a homeless person.
• Put the shopping cart back in its’ place
• put other shopping carts back in their places.
• Leave a generous tip for a restaurant server.
• Send a note of encouragement to a stranger.
• Be kind to someone who is not always kind to you.
• Give up the great parking space to someone else.
• Visit someone in the hospital or nursing home who may not get many visitors.
• Be a voice of encouragement to those working in hospice care.
• Give your mail carrier bottles of water during the hot Summer months.
• Leave a box of doughnuts and coffee for your garbage collectors.
• Be that person who brings a sugar-free desert to the next gathering for any diabetics who may be attending.
• Make a positive comment on a website or blog.
• Mentor a teen mom.
• Build a REAL community with those on your street, where neighbors do things for one another and love each other.

I have given you 25 ideas and the internet is filled with many, many more. If we have a heart of compassion for those we meet in our daily lives and intentionally look for ways to be Jesus to others, God will open the doors to opportunities to serve others on a daily basis. Live intentionally, with love, like Jesus lived.