50 Random Acts of Kindness for Christians to Share the Love of Jesus

Let’s talk about how Christians can use random acts of kindness to share the love of Jesus.

In this post, we’re going to talk about what people mean when they say “random acts of kindness.” Then we’ll hit on ways that we can do these things to show the love in Jesus in both word and deed.

Lastly, we’ve put together a list of 50 random acts of kindness for Christians that you can use as a springboard to share the love of Jesus with those around you.

Let’s get to it!

What Are Random Acts of Kindness?

Random acts of kindness are simple and selfless acts that show generosity and care towards people in unexpected ways.

The phrase originated when Anne Herbert tweaked a line from a newspaper describing “random violence and senseless acts of cruelty” and reworked it to say, “practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.”

Skip to the end to see our list of 50 random acts of kindness ideas.

How should I do Random Acts of Kindness in a way that shows the love of Jesus?

There are many creative ways to show the love of Jesus through “random acts of kindness.” The basic principles, I think, are to 1) give generously of your wealth, 2) give generously of your time, and 3) personalize it with the gospel.

I think that when you give generously of your time and wealth, you create a personal connection, which in turn provides the opportunity to share the gospel.

Let’s take a look at these, but first I’ll address a couple of objections.

Objections: (Not So) Random Acts of Kindness

First of all, there’s a bit of debate about the value of random acts of kindness. Since they are, by definition, random, what does it really do? What purpose does it serve? And for Christians, is there really a value in giving apart from the gospel?

Welllllll…..

Let’s not overthink this, people. The Bible calls us to be gracious and generous. We’re called to love and serve others. We’re told specifically that love is kind. So I don’t think it takes a theology degree to realize that small acts of kindness are a natural by-product of a loving heart.

You can smile at the store clerk and give them a compliment. Of course that doesn’t take away your duty to evangelize the lost or your obligation to love and serve the church or your responsibility to give of your abundance in big and consistent ways. But you’re not being any less like Jesus when you smile at people and treat them well. That’s a random act of kindness, yes, but it’s not really so random because it’s the overflow the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification.

Also, some people are put off by the word “random.” But by thinking about, preparing for, and planning these small acts of kindness, it’s not really random, is it? These are opportunities for you to intentionally love others, even if they are strangers.

At the same time, don’t use these sorts of things as substitutes for preaching the gospel or contributing to the needs of the saints (aka tithing). Some people do random acts of kindness instead of giving to the church and sharing the gospel. It should be in addition to.

So please, don’t overthink this kind of thing. Just think of it as another way to love Jesus and love others.

Let’s talk about how to do this.

A) Give Generously of Your Wealth

You are wealthy.

Sure, maybe you have a tough time making ends meet. (I’ve been there, multiple times.) Maybe you are out of a job, or scraping your way through college, or facing huge medical bills. Or perhaps you are just an average Joe (or Jane) with an average job and average bills. Or maybe you are on the other end of the spectrum and are financially set for life.

In any of those cases, and in every other possibility, you are still wealthy.

Not because you are an American. Not because you are in a first-world country. And definitely not because you have a particular number of commas in your bank account balance.

No, you are wealthy because you are a child of the King.

I know you have heard that one before. But let it really sink in for a minute.

Hopefully you are already part of the way down this road. In fact, you probably are, because you’re reading an article on Random Acts of Kindness. That means you get that you live in abundance and are looking for ways to give. Nice!!

Still… take another minute and let the thought marinate. You are a child of the King of the universe, with an eternal inheritance that will never diminish, fade, or tarnish.

That’s awesome.

So because of this eternal reality, you really can give of your wealth. God will provide. Yes, give within your means. Yes, use your brain and budget and all that good stuff.

The takeaway is this: If you are going to give, give well.

Give generously.

All the random acts of kindness below can be done well or poorly. In honor of Jesus, my plea to you is to do what you do well.

Are you inviting someone to dinner? Get the good ingredients. Get champagne. Make sure there is enough. You can have a fancy restaurant cater, or you can do your specialty of grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Whether your budget can take a fancy night out on the town or only humble sandwiches, do what you do with the best you can. Skip your Starbucks for a couple of days so you can afford that little something extra. You know what this means for your situation.

B) Give Generously of Your Time

Giving stuff is easy. The hard part, for many of us, involves giving up our time.

We need “me time.” (Or so we think.) We need to spend time with our families. (Which, yes, we totally should. But that so easily becomes an excuse.) Gotta put in overtime to please the boss and line up that promotion, or to pay off that loan for the boat. Gotta catch up on the latest episode of that TV series so we have something to talk about with friends.

You know the answer to most of this kind of thing. No, we don’t **need** all that time. Some time for all these things, sure. But you and I both know we use these morally-neutral things to avoid doing the more difficult things.

Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. Our time is given to us by our heavenly Father, who gives and takes away as he pleases. When you stand before him on the last day, what will really matter? What will you wish you had done?

Why not do it now?

Plus, giving our time is so much more effective than just giving stuff like money or buying a lunch or paying off a bill. Those things are certainly needed at times – and my family has been blessed by those “random acts of kindness” many times. But I think we all intuitively know that personal interaction is way more powerful than giving money or stuff.

I could dig up all the facts and figures, but if you’ve tracked with me this far I don’t think I need to. You and I know it’s true: Spending quality time with someone has a far greater effect than a material gift.

C) Personalize It With the Gospel

In the list below, I’m not going to spell out exactly how to share the gospel using these ideas. For most of these random acts of kindness, the gift or act itself is the main thing.

But do not fall into the trap of that terrible old saying, so often attributed to St. Francis. “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” Nope. That’s rubbish.

We do not preach with our deeds apart from the actual telling of the gospel. Our preaching is certainly backed up by good deeds, but we should not separate the two.

We should be ready at all times to show love to others through good works, and we should be ready at all times to share the gospel. It is not either/or, it is both/and.

So make sure that actually sharing the story of Jesus and what he has done on the cross is a part of your random acts of kindness. You don’t want to be forced or overly preachy, but at the same time you should make clear that your love is rooted in the gospel and in the love of Jesus.

Most of these ideas are 1) a gift, 2) an act of service, or 3) a time of conversation and relationship building.

For gifts, leave a note attached that says why you are doing this – to share the love of Jesus.

For an act of service, either leave a note or simply tell the person why.

And for relationship building, think through things like the gospel story, why you believe what you believe, your testimony, and questions to ask to get to know and understand the person.

These will all provide ways to share the gospel through your random act of kindness.

OK, ready? Here we go!