As mothers, we know how important our calling is to shape our children’s hearts to be like Christ. We spend so much time in intentionally shaping their character away from sinful behaviors to godly behaviors. In that endeavor, it is vital that we teach kids kindness.
Kindness is key to healthy family relationships. Kindness is really helpful in forming good friendships. Showing kindness to others is our calling as Christians.
Kindness is essential to building a bridge for the gospel to reach others. If we want our children to be faithful disciples, we need to teach kids kindness from God’s perspective.
What does the Bible say about Kindness?
Kindness is the act of doing good for others. Kindness isn’t just about serving others but it is a reflection of a loving heart. Compassion for others is what fuels kindness.
The Hebrew word used most often in the Old Testament is Hesed/Chesed. Hesed means unfailing love, faithful love, unfailing compassion. When we show kindness to others, it is just a partial picture of the overwhelming Hesed of God.
We Teach Kids Kindness Because God is Kind
The loving-faithfulness and kindness of God is an essential part of God’s character. If you were to open up a concordance and search for all the times that the words for kindness appear, we would be awed at the character of our God.
Our children will struggle with mean and sometimes cruel people. We need to prepare them to have a biblical worldview that enables them to keep a soft heart toward others. Focusing on kindness as a characteristic of God gives us a reminder that even if the world is not kind to us, God is kind to us.
“The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.” Psalm 145:17
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” Luke 6:35
The Purpose of God’s Kindness
Why is God kind to us? Why is God kind to the ungrateful and the evil too? What is the purpose of God’s kindness?
The book of Romans tells us that God’s kindness is intended to lead us to repentance. Kindness, the unfailing love of God, is what seeks to teach us right and wrong and what seeks to draw us to Jesus.
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God is kind because He wants us to be in a loving relationship with Himself and with others. Kindness is the unfailing love that seeks us out in our sinfulness and seeks to restore us to a right relationship with Jesus.
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4
Teach Kids Kindness is Required & a Top 3 Virtue
We can sometimes be overwhelmed with knowing how we are supposed to behave not only for kids but for adults as well. It is no surprise that in several places in the Bible, God sums up His teachings for us in a focused calling.
In the New Testament, Jesus tells us: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40
In the Old Testament, the prophets sum up God’s teaching with three-fold calls to right living. Both of these focus verses ask us to see justice and kindness. Kindness makes the top 3 virtues twice. Kindness is very important to God.
“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?” Michal 6:8
“Thus, says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another.” Zechariah 7:9
7 More Bible Verses to Teach Kids Kindness to Memorize
Kindness does not always come naturally to our hearts. We have to overcome our selfishness and our sinful impulses to choose kindness.
Kindness does not stand alone. It is often found with other godly characteristics.
As parents, our goal is not kind behavior. Rather, our goal is to seek a kind heart from which kind behavior flows. God’s desire is that our children’s hearts would be turned to Him.
When we teach kids kindness, we are teaching them to fear the Lord, to express real love, and to experience the fruits of the Spirit.
- “He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty” Job 6:14
- “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.” Proverbs 11:17
- “Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.” Proverbs 21:21
- “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.” 1Corinthians 13:4
- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
- “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
- “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12
Teaching Kids Kindness to Bless Our World
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.” Mother Teresa
Admit it, Mom, often we are drawn to teach our children to be kind so that they will get along with their siblings. The main focus of our character training is to experience a more peaceful household.
Yet, the blessings of teaching kids kindness have ripple effects across the lives of all of the people our children will meet. Deep kindness that reflects that unfailing love, compassion, and goodness of God is just the beacon of gospel hope that our world needs to see.
May the kindness that you teach your children draw them to Christ and draw others to Christ through their loving kindness to others.
The voice behind FaithfulMotherhood.com is Jyn. She is a veteran homeschool mom of three. More than just a pastor’s wife, she holds a Master of Divinity degree and has served in church leadership for over 20 years. Her passion is equipping parents to live out their calling as the number one faith influencer for their children. She longs to see moms empowered by God’s Word and transferring that love to their children through daily Bible study and family devotions.
