Bible Verses About Kindness

“Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?”

Paul says God's kindness is meant to lead people toward turning back to him. Goodness, not pressure, is what opens the door.

“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

Because of his rich mercy and love, God made us alive with Christ, and he will show the riches of his kindness for ages to come. Our starting point is received kindness, not earned merit.

“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us because of his mercy and not because of anything we had done. Christians can be kind to others because they were first treated that way.

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Jesus says God is kind even to the ungrateful and the wicked, and he invites his followers to imitate that mercy. Kindness that only reaches people who deserve it is not yet the kindness of God.

“A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.”

A kind person ends up doing themselves good, while a cruel one brings trouble on their own head. Proverbs notices that how we treat others quietly shapes our own life.

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”

The woman praised at the end of Proverbs speaks with wisdom, and kind instruction is on her tongue. Kindness is part of how she teaches, not a soft extra.

“Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Believers are told to be kind and tenderhearted toward one another, forgiving as God in Christ forgave them. The pattern is set by what God already did for us.

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

Kindness appears among the qualities God's people put on like clothing, together with compassion, humility, gentleness and patience. It is something we choose to wear each morning.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

In Paul's famous description, love is patient and kind, and it is not envious or boastful. Kindness is love in action.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Kindness is named in the fruit of the Spirit, which means it grows as God works in us rather than by sheer willpower. Christians differ on how much is gift and how much is practice, but both are welcome.

“Jesus took up this question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my return I will repay you for any additional expense.’ Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” “The one who showed him mercy,” replied the expert in the law. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.””

Jesus tells of a Samaritan who stops for a wounded stranger when respected religious men pass by. Being a neighbor means showing mercy to whoever is in front of you.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’”

In this scene of the final judgment, the king says that food, drink, welcome and visits given to the least of his people were given to him. Small acts of kindness carry more weight than we think.

“Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.”

Being kind to the poor is described as lending to the Lord, who promises to repay. Generosity toward those who cannot repay us is never lost.

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Do not neglect welcoming strangers, the writer says, because some have unknowingly hosted angels. Hospitality is an old and honored form of kindness.

“On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Paul tells believers to feed a hungry enemy and give them something to drink, and to overcome evil with good. Kindness is presented as a strong response, not a weak one.