Kindness is the fruit of the spirit

Published 9:06 am Thursday, July 31, 2025

I have had two recent experiences that have prompted me to ponder the meaning of kindness.  The first was a compliment from a precious lady on my recent trip to South Africa. As she approached me after the weekend conference, she extended her hand and said, “You are so kind.” She didn’t compliment my teaching, my ministry, or my clothes.  She complimented me on what had touched her heart.  The second experience occurred this week as I attempted to help another lady, and she exploded in anger, telling me what a hypocrite I was and how much she resented me.  Wow! It was two totally different experiences. So, what is kindness, and how do we develop it?

The Bible lists kindness as one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 NLT, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

Kindness is a fruit that is grown through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  We are not born with it, but it begins to grow as we yield to Christian values and as we allow change to occur in our lives. It is often mimicked or used interchangeably with being nice.  The difference between being nice and being kind is simple.  The nice person is externally motivated. The kind person is internally motivated.   The kind person has good self-esteem and isn’t looking for approval or praise. The action receives the compliment when you are nice, – “That was a nice thing to do.”  But with kindness comes that personal identification of “You are so kind.”

Please let me share some quotes that will express the breadth and depth of kindness.

“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” -Mark Twain.

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.” -George Sand.

“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” -William Arthur Ward.

“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” -Albert Schweitzer.

“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” -Barbara de Angelis.

“Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” -Scott Adams.

“There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity.” -Nathaniel Branden.

“The level of our success is limited only by our imagination, and no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop.

“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” -Lucius Annaeus Seneca.

“Because that’s what kindness is. It’s not doing something for someone else because they can’t, but because you can.” -Andrew Iskander.

“You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force.” -Publilius Syrus.

“Always be a little kinder than necessary.” -James M. Barrie.

“Kind people are the best kind of people.” -author unknown

“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.” -Henry James.

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” -Amelia Earhart.

“One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession.” -Sophocles.

In the cruel world we live in, let it be our goal to grow in kindness through the tutelage of the Holy Spirit. Let the self-confidence of who we are in Christ become the vine on which much kindness fruit grows!