Five years ago, I was managing a stressful season—balancing my oldest son’s ever-evolving educational needs with mountains of medical appointments tied to his brain tumor.
One day, a fifth grader stopped me in the hallway at his school.
With great enthusiasm, he said, “Are you Aiden’s mom? I want you to know he is the kindest kid in this school!”
My heart melted. I had been so zeroed in on math scores and doctor visits that I had forgotten what mattered most: my son’s kindness.
That day, I felt the weight I carried dissipate, recognizing that I was raising a kind son. If all else failed, this was enough. The world needed his kindness.
But where does that kindness come from? What does the Bible say about kindness, and how do we grow in it? If we want to raise it, practice it, and recognize it in ourselves, we need to go back to what Scripture actually says.
4 Scripture Verses About Kindness
Here are some of the key verses that shape a biblical picture of kindness.
Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
This verse places kindness alongside justice and humility as a requirement, not an optional virtue for those who want to go the extra mile.
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Here kindness is directly tied to forgiveness, and the standard is God’s own treatment of us. This is not merely a human standard of niceness; it is much more.
Colossians 3:12
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Paul talks about kindness as something we actively “put on,” like clothing. This makes kindness a deliberate daily choice, not just a feeling that shows up on its own.
Galatians 5:22–23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Kindness appears in Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit, which we’ll look at more closely below.
Kindness as a Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22–23 lists kindness among the fruit of the Spirit, alongside love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
That placement matters. Kindness is not listed as a spiritual gift some Christians have and others don’t, nor as a rule to grit our way through. It’s listed among the fruit, a natural result of a life connected to the Spirit.
We understand this in the way an apple tree produces apples because of what it’s rooted in, not because it’s trying hard to produce them. Kindness is something we, as Christians, possess because we are connected to the Father.
Colossians 3:12 echoes this same idea, describing kindness as something we “put on” as God’s chosen people.
Fruit and clothing are both pictures of something given to us that still requires our participation—we don’t grow the fruit ourselves, but we do have to stay connected to the vine; we don’t weave the garment, but we do have to choose to wear it each day.
What Does the Bible Say About Kindness?
Kindness in Scripture is consistently more than a pleasant feeling; it’s tied to justice (Mic. 6:8), modeled on God’s own forgiveness of us (Eph. 4:32), and treated as something we deliberately choose (Col. 3:12).
According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the word we translate as “kindness” often comes from the Hebrew word checed.
Checed combines ideas that English usually flattens in meaning and splits into separate words: steadfast love, mercy, loyalty, and favor.
When the Old Testament describes God’s kindness, it’s usually this word doing the work, which is why “kindness” in the Bible tends to mean something closer to committed, loyal love than a random nice gesture.
Biblical kindness holds far more meaning than just being nice.
That’s the through-line in the verses above. Micah ties kindness to justice because biblical kindness isn’t separate from doing right by people. Paul ties it to forgiveness because it’s modeled on how God has already treated us, not on how deserving the other person seems.
And it’s something we’re told to “put on” because, fruit of the Spirit or not, it still requires a choice on our part.
Examples of Kindness in the Bible
Scripture doesn’t just tell us what kindness is; it shows us. These stories don’t prove that kindness is required (the verses above do that); they show what obedience to that call actually looks like in practice.
David and Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 9)
King David sought out Mephibosheth, the disabled son of his late friend Jonathan, not because he was obligated to, but because he wanted to show “the kindness of God.” He restored Mephibosheth’s land and insisted he eat at the king’s table like one of David’s own sons: kindness that was extravagant and unearned.
Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 2)
Boaz goes well beyond his legal obligations to provide for Ruth, a foreign widow with no claim on him. His kindness exceeds what the law required, showing that biblical kindness often starts where duty ends.
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10)
When a Samaritan stops to help a wounded stranger that religious leaders had already passed by, Jesus shows that kindness is meant to cross social, ethnic, and personal boundaries; and that it’s often inconvenient, costly, and demands immediate action rather than a convenient one.
How to Practice Kindness Today
Knowing what the Bible says about kindness matters little if it doesn’t move into our daily lives. A few ways to put it into practice:
- Look for the person that duty would let you skip. Boaz didn’t have to help Ruth. Ask who in your life falls outside your obligations and go toward them anyway.
- Let kindness cost you something. The Good Samaritan spent time, money, and safety. If your kindness never costs you anything, it may be convenience rather than conviction.
- Extend the kindness you’ve received. Ephesians 4:32 roots our kindness toward others in the kindness God has already shown us. When kindness feels hard, start by remembering how He has treated you.
- Stay connected to the Spirit and choose it daily. Since kindness is both fruit and clothing, ask the Spirit to grow it in you, and then still choose, each day, to put it on.
Is there someone the Spirit is leading you to extend kindness to today? That may be where He is calling you today, if you’ll trust His leading.
Continue Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit
Just as the Holy Spirit helps us grow in kindness, he helps us grow in the remaining fruit of the Spirit as well. If you’d like to explore how you can continue growing in these areas, these additional resources will help.
- What Does the Bible Say About Peace?
- What Does the Bible Say About Joy?
- What is Goodness in the Bible?
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