Last week my kids’ school hosted a family movie night, showing the movie, Wonder.
If you’re not yet familiar with this movie, I cannot recommend it enough.
Wonder is a movie that follows the life of a fifth grade boy, born with a craniofacial difference, who attends a public school for the first time. It is an inspiring movie with a heart-warming message about acceptance, kindness and friendship.
Between the most recent school shooting in Florida, and the new release of the movie Wonder, it has sparked several healthy discussions with my kids about the importance of kindness.
I think it’s safe to say that our world could use a little more kindness. Don’t you?
Our world could use a little more kindness. #truth #bekind #chooselove #teachcompassion Share on X
One of satan’s most sneaky and effective weapons of choice, used to wreak havoc in our nation today, is rejection.
Psychologists agree that it is to blame for the rise in depression, suicide and aggression among our youth.
Although rejection can be a noticeably outward act, such as name-calling, gossiping, mocking, poking fun at, and straight-up bullying, oftentimes rejection is displayed in the more subtle, passive act of exclusion.
When we exclude others, we send a message that they are unwanted, unworthy and unaccepted.
This kind of behavior creates division, animosity and deep-seated wounds.
It sticks to the bones, and wreaks havoc on the mind, emotions and spirit of an individual.
Sadly, exclusion happens everywhere, among all people groups, and sometimes in places you’d least expect. Within our schools, the workplace, our neighborhoods, social clubs, sporting events, and even in church.
While the exclusion of others can be done intentionally, I think we most commonly exclude others without even realizing it.
If we would stop to seek the Lord, we might be surprised by some areas in our own lives, that we have unknowingly excluded others.
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
How can we combat rejection?
Through acceptance. By learning to widen our circle.
Embracing and inviting others into our social circles, our homes, and our lives, works wonders towards helping people feel welcomed, accepted and ultimately, loved.
Jesus’ life offers us the greatest example of acceptance there is. He often chose to spend His time in the presence of those who were rejected, lonely, misunderstood, harshly judged, cast out, and viewed as less than.
Take for example, the stories below.
- Jesus invites the little children to come to Him. (Luke 18:15)
- Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:1-41)
- Jesus ate with the tax collectors. (Mark 2:13-17)
- Jesus defends the adulterous woman. (John 8:1-11)
- Jesus touches and heals the leper. (Matthew 8:3)
Jesus was not afraid to reach out to these forgotten ones. In fact, it would seem He preferred to spend His time with the oft-rejected, than to keep company with the pious, religious leaders of His time.
He was passionate about coming to the defense of the outcasts.
“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them.” (Psalm 12:5)
Perhaps, it would be wise to learn from His example.
Jesus was passionate about coming to the defense of the outcasts. Perhaps we would be wise to do the same. #bekind #chooselove #compassion #truth Share on X
As parents, we are given the awesome responsibility of raising up the next generation of leaders, in this nation.
Stop and think for a minute. What do you want our future to look like?
Do we want the cycle of “rejection begets hatred” to continue? Or do we want to see a generation rise up in love?
We need to be a people motivated by compassion. And we need to teach our kids to be likewise.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)
Helping our kids to recognize the signs of exclusion in their own environment, and teaching them ways to practice inclusion with their peers may not stop rejection in its tracks, but it is a good place to start.
It’s never too early or too late to teach our kids how to be practice kindness. These lessons should begin in the home, and extend to the outside world as our children age, and are presented with more opportunities to do so.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
While regular discussions with our children about extending kindness to peers is helpful, giving our kids some practical ideas on how to implement them is even better!
10 Practical Ways Kids Can Include Others at School
This list is not exhaustive, but it is a start!
Encourage your kids to scan the room (wherever they are) and look for those who look like they could use a friend. Then, challenge them to implement some of the following ideas.
- Sit by them at lunch.
- Invite them to play during recess.
- Pick them to be on your team in gym class.
- Make an effort to talk to them during free time.
- Invite them over to play after school.
- Send them an invitation to your birthday party.
- Look for common interests and expand on those.
- Sit by them on the bus ride home.
- Offer to help them with their homework.
- Introduce them to your friends.
Acceptance and inclusion is one way to fight back against bullying.
Actively instilling empathy in our children is half the battle. If we can get them to imagine themselves in another’s shoes, then we can easier help them understand the depth of hurt and loneliness that results from being consistently excluded. Role play is a helpful practice in teaching this.
As always, the best example we can give our children is ourselves. They learn best from us, and imitate what they see us do. Modeling kindness and inclusion toward others in our own lives, will give them a healthy example to glean from.
So, lead by example. The next generation depends on it.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
“Be kind. Everyone is fighting a hard battle. And if you really want to see what people are, all you have to do is look.” ~August Pullman, Wonder
**If this message inspired you, why not share the inspiration with the world!**
And now on to our featured post!
Every week I host a link-up party for fellow faith bloggers to share their amazing content, here in this space. And each week I pick one of those amazing articles to feature here on the blog.
This week ya’ll wrote some POWERFUL messages! It was so hard to choose just one to feature. You ALL inspire me!
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“When we feel like hating, we choose love. We humbly remember that though we deserved to be hated for the scabs that cover our own sin-disease, we were loved right there in our brokenness.” ~Lisa Murray, Four Things We Can Do to Fight Back Against Violence and Evil
Lisa writes a message that is near and dear to my heart. It is convicting and inspiring, raw and beautiful. It is a message that deserves to be heard around the world.
Please read the full article by visiting here.
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I love this look at kindness through the lens of rejection. My son is at a new school and although it is a Christian school, the kids have not been very welcoming to him. I think teaching him to look outward for ways to be kind to others is the perfect antidote. Thanks for the post!
It’s so hard to watch our kids suffering. School can be a harsh learning ground for our children. I’ll be praying for your son, during this season. But yes, sometimes when we take the initiative to reach out to others, we’ll find that they naturally reciprocate. At least, that is the hope. 😉 Thanks for visiting today!
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An excellent call to kindness and God’s welcoming heart. It takes intentional work to place these things in our kids’ hearts. I recall a time when I was telling the girls that the guest gets to go first when their friends were over playing, and our eldest said, Mom, I want to be the guest! Ha! A honest reflection of our hearts – me, first! Great post, my friend.
So true Sue! Thanks for the warm words, friend.
This is so good! My oldest is a lot like me with her keeping her circle small. One of things I have been working on and encouraging her in is to widen her circle.
Awesome Ayanna! Maybe she’ll gain some beautiful friends in the process! 🙂
I think it’s great that you point out we can reject others without even realizing it at times. It’s so easy to stay where it’s comfortable among your circle of friends! But I’ve seen it happen again and again where people don’t realize how exclusive they’re being. Thanks for this insight!
It’s true, and it makes me so sad. I’m sure that I’ve been guilty of this myself. But I’m trying to pay better attention, and train my children to do the same. 🙂
Great list! I think I’d even print this to hang somewhere the kids could see or ask at our weekly family meeting which they had opportunity to do this week.
Oh I love that, Jennifer! Our family likes to challenge one another to things like this. We’re rather competitive. 😉 But this would be a wonderful goal to attain!
Oh, Rachel, what a wonderful list. Every single one of them would make such a difference in the life of one who’s lonely. — And, as I was reading I was thinking that it’s also helpful to model that behavior for them, and then got to your last paragraph and saw that you were right there with me on that. Such a great post—loved this. Thank you for sharing. 🙂 ((hug))
Thank you Brenda! I so appreciate your encouragement. Even if we only make a difference to one, that’s one more than zero! 🙂
Thanks for visiting today!
We definitely need to widen our circles and help our kids do the same. I tell my girls to be sweet and kind but have lately been telling them to make sure no one is left out. Our society needs it!
Yes!!! I wholeheartedly agree!
Thank you for sharing. I was bullied during my middle school years and have a tenderness for the importance of kindness. Even as an adult, sometimes I’m shocked when someone will say something or do something that is so unkind and I think to myself, I wouldn’t even consider saying or doing something like that to someone. It could be from my experience being bullied that I wouldn’t want to do that to anyone else.
What a great lesson to teach our children to come alongside others and show them kindness, even if it may feel outside of their comfort zone.
I’m so sorry that was your experience, Karen. I have always been sensitive to this- ever since I was really young. I have vivid memories of watching as classmates mocked, shamed, and outright excluded others from their “group.” It always broke my heart. I’m not sure why some are so cruel?!?! It is of utmost importance to me, that my kids act nothing like the examples I’ve witnessed! By the grace of God…
Thanks for sharing! <3
I love this and how seeking the Lord to see if we have excluded others. I’m in the school system as a substitute teacher and work a lot with our special needs children. I love walking down the halls with them and see how our students love and welcome them. We also let students sit with us at lunch.
It’s true the best example we can give our children is ourselves.
Yes! I love that, Debbie. What a beautiful example of God’s love! <3
What an astute observation. Rejection does lie at the root of so many issues today. I appreciate the simple and straightforward truth from God’s Word you’re sharing so practically here today. Thank you! May we be kind!
Thank you for your KIND words, Bethany. Pun sorta intended. 😉 So glad you stopped by!
Great post Rachel Lee! Loved your graphic too! You used some of my favorite verses and I thought your insight about how exclusion is another form of rejection is spot on. I have felt excluded many, many times in my life and the feelings it brings were just as you described. Very well done and happy to share friend😉👍
Thank you Gretchen! I value your encouraging words. <3
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