Ephesians 4:2
Dear my future daughter,
There’s something that I’ve been constantly learning the hard way over the span of my life. It’s one of those lessons that you can learn a thousand times but still find yourself having unlearned it at a moment’s notice. With this, I pray you hold tight to this lesson early and well:
If there is anything that you need to be in this world, it is Kind.
It’s a word so powerful I feel it warrants capitalization. Kindness is a true weapon for the Lord and is a characteristic delivered by the love of the Lord.
“Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” (Ephesians 4:2)
In this world, it’ll become easy to be absorbed in the idea of looking cool, pretty, fun, or successful. It becomes easy to want to dedicate every day of your life to fuel these attributes because it makes you feel worthy.
In the end, as I’m sure I will end up saying to you about a million times over, trying to center your identity on things that are of this world will fail you - Always. It’s like refilling your half-glass of lemonade with water. It may have the appearance of being full, but the substance will certainly not sustain you as effectively.
As you get older, you’ll notice people tend to display particular qualities at the forefront of their lives. There are so many people in the world that let their light shine on their money, their clothes, their house, their laundry list of activities, and their job. These are the things the world stresses you to display but, my girl, I will always pray that you find the strength to show kindness first. Truly, if NOTHING else, be kind. You can be kind and athletic, or kind and musical, or kind and sloth-like- you can be kind and whatever you choose, but my goodness be KIND first.
Scripture tells us how Jesus spent time with people who were not considered impressive, or fashionable, or “cool.” Yet he poured into them as if they were. In today’s age, we find it so easy to scroll (and scroll and scroll) and compare. We get lost in this disconnected proverbial highlighted world that people use to shield their broken realities. Everyone is so focused on portraying their lives in just the right filter that we become deaf to Jesus’ words. We must be immersed in ways to further God’s kingdom – preaching love, faith, kindness, and good works. These attributes are so powerful because they come highly valued by our one God the father.
I myself have battled against these worldly desires to feel validated. It is easy to get caught in the snares of insecurities, which are there to tell you that unless people think your clothes are classic, your house is pretty, and your makeup/eyebrows/eyelashes/hair/skin/tan/teeth/body (wow, being a girl is fun) is perfect, you aren’t successful in this world. But at the end of the day, it does not advance love for God’s kingdom. Even with the best intentions, putting anything before the core which is God’s love degrades it.
Sweet girl, the world will make it difficult to navigate the “who am I” and “where do I fit in this world” questions without grasping for tangible value. But you are strong, and you are made to do great things. I pray these things for you:
-I Pray you do not let yourself hesitate to ask the new girl to sit with you at lunch.
-I Pray you are fearless for the Lord, and that you wake up each day striving to better the life of another.
-I Pray you can be strong enough to hold your tongue when people are bad-mouthing another (verbally or in writing) and you become tempted to join in. In fact, be the one to gently redirect.
-I Pray you are bold in your kind acts. I pray you are pervaded with passion for change, and that you never get overwhelmed or discouraged by how far away results may seem.
-I Pray you seek out the downtrodden, and that you make a sincere effort to lend a hand or a shoulder.
-I Pray you look at yourself in the mirror and love your smile the most because it will change lives.
-I Pray you never forget to be kind to yourself. Be kind to your body, and be kind to your soul.
Overall, I pray you never let the world tell you kindness does not matter, and that when the weight of the world’s expectations has your head churning, you look up (way up) and remember whose daughter you are.
Love always,
Your Mama