¶ Welcome to Starting Right
Good morning and welcome to Starting Right with Danny Mac . I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great five-minute start to your day . So grab your cup of coffee , sit back , relax and let me help you start your day right
¶ The Good Samaritan Story
. During Jesus' time of ministry , he told many wonderful stories . One of my favorites is the story of the Good Samaritan as recorded in Luke , chapter 10 . I like this story because it always makes me think which of the guys in the story really truly would I be , particularly if I was in a rush to get somewhere to do something .
Would I be the great Samaritan who would come in and help , or would I be one of the others who would ignore and pass by ? On the other side ? I like to think that I'd be the good guy , but I'm not always
¶ Seminary Experiment Reveals Compassion Blind Spots
quite so sure . I want to tell you a story from Tim Hansel and an interesting experiment that took place . One semester a seminary professor set up his preaching class in an unusual way .
He scheduled his students to preach on the parable of the Good Samaritan and on the day of the class he choreographed his experiment so that each student would go , one at a time , from one classroom to another where he or she would preach a sermon .
The professor gave some students 10 minutes to go from one room to another , and to others he allowed less time , forcing them to rush . In order to meet the schedule , each student , one at a time , had to walk down a certain corridor and pass by a homeless person who was deliberately planted there , obviously in need of some sort of aid .
The results were surprising and offered a powerful
¶ Three Practical Ways to Show Kindness
lesson to the class . The percentage of those good men and women who stopped to help was extremely low , especially for those who were under the pressure of a shorter time period . The tighter the schedule , the fewer were those who stopped to help the indigent man . The fewer were those who stopped to help the indigent man .
When the professor revealed his experiment , you can imagine the impact on that class of future spiritual leaders . Here they were rushing to preach a sermon on the Good Samaritan and they had walked past the beggar at the heart of the parable .
The lesson for them and all of us , is we must have eyes to see as well as hands to help , or we may never help at all . Ephesians 4.32 tells us to be kind to one another , tenderhearted forgiving one another , as God in Christ forgave you .
¶ The Surprising Rewards of Kindness
You see , kindness is not just a call to be nice . It is a call to show deep , christ-like compassion to people . Sometimes we're just too distracted or too focused on something else to recognize the times when we really should be kind . So this morning I'm going to give us three practical ways that we can be kind or kinder to the people around us .
The first one is just learn to listen . Sometimes the kindest thing that we can do is listen . In a world where everyone wants to be heard , be the person who can sit and listen . Secondly , speak with love . We all know that words have power . We need to use them to encourage and build up and not tear down .
Even when you disagree with someone , the way we talk can remain respectful and kind . And thirdly , look for ways to show your kindness . Whether it's helping a neighbor with yard work or volunteering your time at church or simply offering to run an errand for a friend , these small acts of service can be very powerful expressions of kindness .
And just one more thing the Bible also tells us that being kind to people is not only a benefit to them , but when we are kind , it benefits us as well . Proverbs 11 , verse 17 says your kindness will reward you , but your cruelty will destroy you . Think about it just for a minute .
When we do something kind or good for somebody , doesn't it usually make you feel awfully good as well ? It amazes me the way God has made us .
When it looks like we might be losing out , when we're giving or doing something for somebody else , god turns it around , and instead of us feeling like we might be losing out , when we're giving or doing something for somebody else , god turns it around , and instead of us feeling like we've lost , we often feel like we are the ones who have been blessed .
So as we start today , let's think about how we can be kind to people . Maybe there's someone at work that usually irritates you and maybe you try to avoid , or you've spoken to more sharply than you want . Let's choose to be kind and to show the love of Christ to people around us . Have a great day , my friends , and we will talk again tomorrow .
Thank you for joining us today , and I invite you to join us every Monday to Friday , right here at Starting Right , with Danny Mac .