If you were to make a list of all the reasons you should be kind to people, there would be several things on that list, but according to Scripture, one of those reasons should be because being kind to others will personally benefit you.

Listen to what God says in Proverbs 11:17, “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.” How does that work? Well, the Bible says in Galatians 6, “…whatever a man sows, that will he also reap.” It’s like your garden. If you sow cucumber seeds, you’ll reap cucumbers. If you sow tomatoes, you’ll reap tomatoes. And in the garden of life, if you sow kindness, you will reap kindness. But if you sow cruelty, you will reap cruelty.

Therefore, you and I would be wise to do what Jesus said in the Golden Rule. You should do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Why? Because God said so? Yes, but also because the principle of the Golden Rule leads to another principle that I like to call the Golden Return, which is this:  people will treat you how you treat them. What you sow, you shall reap. A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. Those are wise words to live by!

Change begins in you!