Christians Aren’t Called To Be Nice
As a follower of Christ, you are called to be many things, but being ‘nice’ is not one of them.
C.S. Lewis commented on ‘Niceness’ in his book, “Mere Christianity”. Here is what he had to say:
“A world of nice people, content with their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world — and might even be more difficult to save.”
Lewis quite nicely summarizes what will be discussed in the following paragraphs.
What Is ‘Niceness” And Why It Sucks
Being nice is defined as “giving pleasure or satisfaction; pleasant or attractive.”
This implies that in order to be deemed as ‘nice’, you must also be passive. This is very evident when we unpack this definition. In order to achieve all the qualities listed, you must prioritize the positive emotions of others over what is best for them and what is true.
What Is Kindness And Why It’s Great
In simple terms, the greatest difference between kindness and niceness is that kindness undertakes both an active role in your interactions and is a virtue that is given from God (Galatians 5:22).
Kindness is a characteristic of love (1 Corinthians 13:4). It is active gentleness, compassion, mercy and affection.
Being kind does not mean that you bend and conform to the wills of others simply to satisfy them. Being kind means that you deliver the truth to someone, even when they don’t like it.
Sometimes You Have To Disagree In Order To Love
Is it loving to allow someone to continue down a destructive path?
If you answered no, as you should, then you understand the simple definition of love. It is actively doing what is best for someone. Now, if the Gospel truly saves, as we Chrsitians claim it does, then it is imperitive that we preach the gospel faithfully, even if we risk stepping on some toes in the process.
Remember, you are not harming someone by disagreeing with them. You are however, harming them if you withhold the truth from them so that you do not have to deal with confrontation.
So preach the gospel faithfully.
Love Is The Key To Disagreements
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”
1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV
It might be easier, and in many cases, simpler to intellectually bulldoze someone when it comes to matters of faith. However, as we are reminded in the passage above, eloquent speech means rather little if you do not possess love.
Do not preach the gosepl in order to start debates and then stroke your own ego after winning. At the same time, do not teach a false gospel to people in order to come off as likeable. In both of these situations, you are prioritizing your own wants over that which is best for someone else.
Therefore, preach the gospel faithfully and with love in all circumstances.
