Most of us have settled for being nice. Nice is easy. Kindness is something else entirely.

In this episode, Nicole and Stephanie continue our Fruit That Lasts series with kindness, the fruit that almost always costs us something. Being nice is a pleasant surface. Kindness is a costly action, and the two are not the same, even though we treat them like they are.

Galatians 5:22-23 calls these the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of our effort. Kindness is not a personality trait a few lucky people are born with. It is what the Holy Spirit grows in a life that stays close to Christ. And it starts with remembering how kind God has already been to us.

In This Episode

• Why biblical kindness goes deeper than being pleasant, and where the "cost" actually shows up
• The difference between being nice and being kind, and why we confuse them
• Why our kindness runs thinnest with the people closest to us
• What Jonah, the Good Samaritan, and Boaz show us about kindness
• Simple, everyday practices for growing a kindness that looks like Jesus

What Kindness That Costs Something Actually Means

Kindness is an attribute of God before it is a behavior we try to produce. Romans 2:4 tells us it is God's kindness that leads us toward repentance. His kindness is never just Him being nice to us. It is purposeful. It draws us back and it changes us. Micah 6:8 does not only tell us to do kind things. It tells us to love kindness, which means something is happening in the heart, not just the behavior. And that is where the word cost matters. Kindness may cost us our time, our convenience, our comfort, or the satisfaction of getting the last word.

Why It Is So Hard

We live in a world that rewards speed and self-protection, not sacrifice. Being nice is free. Being kind asks for our time, our comfort, and our plans, and it rarely shows up at a convenient moment. Most of us are only naturally kind to the people who can be kind back. Faith Chang names this pull in Peace Over Perfection, how prone we are to lean on our own goodness instead of resting in God's. When we forget how freely He has been kind to us, our kindness toward others turns stingy and conditional.

Resources Mentioned

• Peace Over Perfection by Faith Chang
• Adamant by Lisa Bevere
• The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink
• ROOTS Morning Journals. groundedgrowth.org/store

Final Encouragement

Kindness that looks like Jesus is not about being nice. It is about letting His love spill out of you in ways that actually cost you something. You do not have to overhaul your whole life. Pick one person this week and do one kind thing that is a little inconvenient, and let that be enough. Every bit of kindness you give is really just an echo of the kindness God has already poured over you. He was kind to you first, while you could not pay Him back at all. So on the days your kindness runs thin, do not try to squeeze more out of yourself. Go back to the One who is endlessly kind and let Him fill you again.

Stay grounded and keep growing.

www.groundedgrowth.org

Instagram: @GroundedGrowthMO