Do you know what I miss the most living in the age of social media? Kindness and humility.

Truth be told, I’m not sure where they have gone. I remember them always being around as a child. Our parents taught us to know them well, and yet at some point we lost touch. Many a day I have searched in hopes that I would might see them again.

From time to time, I catch a fleeting glimpse. I spot kindness as strangers make posts to rally together to raise funds for a family in need. I have even seen humility on occasion as courageous men and women drop the facade of perfect lives and openly admit their struggles.

I miss them the most when I see people lashing out at each other because of contrasting opinions on a topic. In the absence of humility, we have become experts in every subject. If anyone dares share an opinion opposite of ours, we are primed and ready to blast them out of the water with our barbed comments and sarcastic memes.

Kindness is replaced by name calling and hurtful insinuations of the other’s intelligence.

When was the last time that you were “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”? Yeah, I struggle with it at times as well.

In James 1:19-20, we are taught to live in this manner “because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” I wonder what social media would look like if we got really good at being obedient to James’ instruction.

How much more peace would we have in our lives and how great of an example we could be for others if we cared about one another enough to calm down and stopped talking long enough to truly listen?

Jesus taught not only to treat others the way you want to be treated but also to love those who disagree with you and don’t like you. He called for His followers to love their enemies! Jesus even gave us the greatest example of this by praying for the forgiveness of those persecuting Him while He hung on the cross.

I pray that we may all know this love of Christ and that we may all pour it out in every interaction we have with others. I pray that we may collectively find humility, admitting our mistakes and shortcomings and seeking forgiveness for them. I pray we may act with the utmost kindness and respect as we talk to one another. I pray that we may all be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” even when faced with an opinion that is the polar opposite of the one we hold.

Shock someone this week by being quick to listen when they least suspect it!