The list of dark things continues to grow each and everyday. Here are just a few things that weigh heavily on me quite often: The pain in this election and having hardly any faith to choose a trusting president, the desperate search for an answer to poverty lingering among the nations, our misconstrued perception on body image, Pro-Life versus Pro-Choice, the mistrust in our main sources for news media, and so on. My question is this: In this period of time, why has negativity enveloped and swallowed us whole?
Many Christians I've talked to have been realizing this for years. The sad part is, even non-Christians are beginning to fear the world, and they, too, are looking for an answer. An answer that I believe God has been calling me and everyone else to do, and that is this: to spread the love, or what I like to call planting the mustard seed of God's kingdom.
Luke 13:18-19 says, "Then Jesus asked, 'What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.'”
Whether you're Christian or not, planting that tiny seed is so crucial to our faith in society, and I believe it begins with the simplest of things. Maybe you already do these things that I'm about to list off, and if that seems to be the case, you are already ahead of us.
With that being said, I believe planting that itty bitty seed is quite simple, actually. How? The answer is doing small acts of kindness towards others, or what I like to call being a light in God's kingdom.
So if you're afraid of what the world has come to, here are 5 simple ways to plant God's mustard seed and spread the love we crave so much so the world doesn't seem as dark:
1. Text/Call someone out of the blue
Ever catch yourself thinking about someone you haven't heard from in a while? I certainly do! Whether it be an old friend of mine or a relative, I tend to feel this as the Holy Spirit putting that desire in my mind to reach out to them and see how they're doing. If they're Christian and would more than likely appreciate God's word, I would even throw in a bible verse that I thought they might like.
2. Be positive
Although it takes much effort to refuse the temptation to dwell on all the negatives in life, pulling out the positives is a great start. It is hard. Believe me, I know. But as soon as you start looking at all the great things you have in this beautiful life, even if there are few, I can promise you that you'll already feel much better about yourself. And when you begin to feel better about yourself, it shows. People see your light shine, and it will soon rub off on them as well creating this chain reaction of joy.
3. Smile
It all starts with a smile. Though it's a bit outdated study, the Society for the Study of Motivation found that people who were smiled at by a complete stranger felt more connected to society than people who were ignored on purpose. Though that seems like common sense to most, I believe people continuously forget about that. So don't be nervous, and try it out! You'll more than likely get a smile back.
4. Write a note to someone
It doesn't have to be a love letter (unless you have someone to write a love letter to), but rather a "pen pal" kind of letter. Although it seems sort of old fashioned, there's something about receiving a letter in the mail from someone in your life rather than some bills or coupons.
5. Small Gifts of Kindness
No, you don't have to buy someone something expensive, rather what I'm saying is doing something for someone when they least expect it. For example, when my roommate was stressed out about homework I drew her a bible verse to motivate her to get through the rest of the week. Even simply making someone a cup of coffee when they're tired, tending to their wounds when they're sick or hurt or even running an errand for them is a simple way of saying, "Hey, you are taken care of."
Referring back to Luke 13:18-19, God's kingdom should reflect these little beautiful things. If we want His kingdom stronger than ever in this world that so many see as a planet full of darkness and pain, then starting with a small act of kindness everyday could be the end to the hurt. I know this seems like a bit of a stretch to end all the pain in our world, but look at that tiny, little mustard seed that grew into a flourishing, healthy tree with birds perched on top. If Jesus believed in that seed and the beautiful tree it would become, why can't we?
