Well, we’re back at it. Blogging through the alphabet for the month of April. Today, we will look at the letter “k” and see how it fits into the boosting of our happiness and attitude.

From the article[i] I’ve been using for my jaunt through the alphabet, Ms. Marquez tells us that kissing stirs up positive feelings. Whether it’s a smooch or a peck, kissing is apparently associated with comfort.

Perhaps this is why the Apostle Paul brings up the idea of a holy kiss in Scripture. On four occasions, Paul said that the brothers should greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; and 1 Thessalonians 5:26)

As was the custom in the day, this kiss was their normal greeting. However, Paul differentiated the kiss of hello and goodbye with asking that the kiss be holy.

Holy means to be dedicated or consecrated to God. To be holy means to be set apart, separated from sin and impurity. So just as our lives are to be holy because God is holy (1 Peter 1:16), our greeting to one another is to be holy as well.

Peter mentions kissing in his epistle as well. 1 Peter 5:14 (NIV) tell us to “Greet one another with a kiss of love.” While these are different terms, the meaning is the same. When greeting another brother or sister in Christ, the greeting is to be filled with the love of Christ.

In our western culture, we have done away with kissing as a form of greeting. So what might replace this holy kiss in America’s churches today? As I stood in the church lobby yesterday, I noticed the greetings. There were tender touches. There were exuberant hugs. There were hearty handshakes. There were holy greetings!

While there are folks and commentators out there that will say we are ignoring this command in Scripture, there are many others who say this was just a piece of advice from Paul and Peter. But I believe that we have captured the essence of these words and are greeting our fellow Christians (and anyone else we encounter) with the holiness and love that we should.

I certainly can understand how these greetings would boost our attitudes and even bring a smile to our face. For me, there are certain sisters in Christ who bless my heart by sharing a holy hug. These are the hugs I crave. These are my personal positive attitude enhancers. These are the hugs I seek when I need encouragement.

Perhaps you know someone like that. Or maybe you’ve been told that you are the person with a holy hug. If so, don’t be stingy with those hugs! There are people who need that cheer.

Holy kissing. Holy greeting. Holy hugging. When we encourage one another with Christ in the middle of it, there will be some attitude boosting accomplished. So let’s get out there today and show the world God’s holiness through ourselves. Just think of how much better the world would be if we allowed Christ to use us in this way!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

[i] “More Bliss, Less Stress: A to Z Happiness Boosters to Try Today,” Jennifer Rainey Marquez, Good Housekeeping, Vol. 260, No. 4, page 114.