Casandra Martin

The ALS Ice Bucket challenge has gone viral. Social media is saturated with videos of people supporting a good cause and getting ice water dumped on their heads. For the few of you out of the loop, in the challenge someone is nominated to either donate money to support ALS research or submit to having a bucket of ice water dumped on them. They then have the privilege of nominating three people to complete the same challenge within 24 hours. To date, the ALS Foundation has raised awareness of this crippling disease and over $50 million dollars.

Watching video after video of my friends getting wet has been fun, but has also gotten me thinking. What impact would it have on our nation if Christians flooded the internet with videos, tweets, pictures, and status updates about kindnesses done in the name of Jesus? In Mark 9:41, Jesus said, “For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.” Instead of pouring water over people’s heads (or maybe in addition to it), we could commit ourselves to offering a cup of water or any type of kindness to somebody in the name of Jesus.

Here is your three-step challenge: First, in the next 24 hours, do something deliberately kind for someone else. You can bake cookies, pick up trash, help someone to their car, donate to a charity, send a card, give a hug, or offer someone a cold drink of water. Use your imagination and creativity. Second, use social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. – to share your act of kindness with others. I’m not talking about bragging or being proud, but of encouraging others to join you in doing a kindness in the name of Jesus. Third, challenge three of your friends to do their own act of kindness in the next 24 hours.

My Jesus Resolution today is to accept Jesus’ cup of water challenge. I am going to go out of my way to show kindness to someone in the name of Jesus. I nominate and challenge you to do the same. How fast do you think a tidal wave of kindness can spread across this country?