18 Verses · World English Bible
18 Bible Verses About Kindness
Kindness can seem like a small virtue, the sort of thing we put on classroom posters and forget by lunchtime. Scripture will not let us shrink it that way. In the Bible, kindness is first a description of God himself: the Lord who is good to all he has made, who draws his people with unfailing kindness, and whose kindness, Paul says, is what leads us to repentance. Only after Scripture has rooted kindness in God’s own character does it turn to us, and by then the word carries real weight. To be kind is not merely to be pleasant. It is to treat people the way God has treated us: patiently, generously, and at cost. These Bible verses about kindness gather that teaching in one place, from the psalms to the letters of Paul and Peter.
The eighteen passages below are grouped into five themes: the kindness of God, the call to be kind to one another, kindness as fruit the Spirit grows, the surprising power of kind words, and kindness to those in need. As you read, you may notice that biblical kindness is rarely sentimental. It shows up in forgiveness offered before it is deserved, in patience with difficult people, and in practical help for those who cannot repay. That is deliberate. Kindness in Scripture is love wearing work clothes. Let one or two of these verses follow you into the week, and see what they make possible in the ordinary encounters you were going to have anyway.
The Kindness of God
Before kindness is ever a command, it is a character reference. These verses describe a God who is good to all he has made, who has loved his people with an everlasting love, and whose kindness appeared in person in Jesus. Paul even says it is God’s kindness, not his severity, that leads us to repentance. Every human kindness borrows from this one.
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,”
“Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
“that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;”
“The LORD appeared of old to me, saying,“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.”
“The LORD is good to all.His tender mercies are over all his works.”
Be Kind to One Another
The New Testament’s instructions here are direct and unglamorous: be kind, be compassionate, forgive as you have been forgiven, and do good even to people who will never return the favor. Jesus pushes it furthest of all, calling us to kindness toward enemies, because that is exactly how his Father treats the ungrateful. These verses leave very few loopholes.
“And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.”
“Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;”
“See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all.”
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.”
Kindness as Fruit of the Spirit
Real kindness cannot be manufactured on demand; anyone who has tried to be nice through gritted teeth knows this. Scripture calls kindness fruit, something the Holy Spirit grows in a life connected to God. These verses shift the question from trying harder to staying rooted, and they remind us that love without kindness is not yet love.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
“Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,”
“Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, perseverance; and in perseverance, godliness; and in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love.”
The Power of Kind Words
Proverbs pays close attention to what our words do to people. A gracious word is honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the body. A kind word can lift a heart that anxiety has been pressing down all day. These verses ask a simple question: what is it like to be on the receiving end of our sentences?
“Pleasant words are a honeycomb,sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”
“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,but a kind word makes it glad.”
“She opens her mouth with wisdom.Kind instruction is on her tongue.”
Kindness to Those in Need
Scripture attaches startling significance to how we treat the poor and overlooked. Kindness to the needy honors their Maker, and Proverbs even says that whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord himself. Micah folds it into the very definition of a faithful life. These verses turn compassion from a feeling into a practice.
“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker,but he who is kind to the needy honors him.”
“He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD;he will reward him.”
“He has shown you, O man, what is good.What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
A Prayer About Kindness
Father, thank you for your kindness to us, kindness we did not earn and cannot exhaust. Forgive us for the sharp words, the withheld patience, and the compassion we saved for people who were easy to love. Grow your Spirit’s fruit in us until kindness becomes our reflex rather than our performance. Show us one person today who needs a gracious word or a practical mercy, and give us the courage not to walk past. Make us kind the way you are kind. Amen.
Common Questions
What does the Bible say about kindness?
The Bible presents kindness as God’s own character before it is ever our assignment. Psalm 145:9 says the Lord is good to all, and Titus 3:4-5 says his kindness appeared in Christ to save us. From that foundation, Scripture calls believers to be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), to strangers, to the poor, and even to enemies, reflecting the God who has been kind to us.
Is kindness a fruit of the Spirit?
Yes. Galatians 5:22-23 lists kindness fifth among the fruit of the Spirit, alongside love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Calling it fruit matters: it means kindness is grown rather than forced. As we stay close to God through prayer, Scripture, and obedience, the Spirit produces a kindness that holds up even under pressure, which willpower alone rarely manages.
What does the Bible say about being kind to strangers and enemies?
Scripture refuses to limit kindness to people who can repay it. In Luke 6:35, Jesus commands love for enemies and doing good without expecting return, because God himself is kind to the ungrateful. The Old Testament repeatedly commands care for foreigners, widows, and orphans, and Proverbs 19:17 promises that kindness to the poor is a loan God personally repays. Kindness that costs nothing was never the biblical standard.
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