Kindness / goodness/ gentleness

Written By: Jaxson Wood -

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.” - Galatians 5:22-23. Kindness, goodness, and gentleness—these three are often overlooked, but it’s often because we don’t understand them well. If I’m kind and good and gentle, isn’t that the same thing? Are they different at all? And what do they really mean in the first place? These are genuine questions, and I wrestled with them too. As we look at what these fruit mean throughout Scripture and the life of Jesus, I hope we can come to a better understanding—and living out—of kindness, goodness, and gentleness.

Before we talk about these specific fruit, let’s talk about the fruit of the Spirit as a whole. First—and maybe most importantly—the word fruit in Galatians 5 is always singular, whether referring to a lone virtue like love or to the collective fruit of the Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit's work in us: one all-encompassing work. We don’t get to pick and choose, nor are fruits given out—some to one and some to another. The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of His work in our lives. It also stands in direct contrast to the works of the flesh in verses 19-21 of Galatians 5. If you haven’t yet, I recommend reading those verses to see the contrast. The works of the flesh are evil and contrary to God’s goodness. They are called works, while the fruit of the Spirit isn’t achieved by working. Rather, the fruit comes from abiding in the Spirit. As He indwells, these righteous actions are produced.

Now, kindness. Kindness is tender concern for others—kindness of heart and kindness of action. We see the kindness of God described in Psalm 23:2-3 with the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is the epitome of kindness, which we should seek to replicate. Christ continues this in Luke 15 as we see the Shepherd leave the ninety-nine for the one. He is the Good Shepherd in Mark 6:34, where He has compassion and stops for the crowd. For us, every action and word should be filled with kindness. This is already hard with those we love—but impossible with those we don’t. It requires the work of the Lord, which is why it is a fruit of the Spirit.

Kindness and goodness overlap in many ways, but they have key differences. Both are about love in action toward others. However, goodness brings us back to Genesis 1, where all creation was good—and we were made in that original goodness. This is uprightness of heart and holiness, but in us, it must be lived out. Goodness in action is our morality. It is the goodness of God transforming us that causes us to show goodness to others. When we care for those in difficult circumstances, that is goodness in action—but so is confronting someone about their sin. Jesus expressed both in Matthew 9 as He forgives the sins of the paralytic, heals him, and rebukes the scribes. Goodness is as varied as the Spirit is creative.

Gentleness is not weakness—it is meekness. Those words may sound similar, but they are certainly different. Gentleness is humility: not demanding what you deserve. In our self-assertive culture, gentleness may be the most counter-cultural fruit. In gentleness, we constrain our strengths under God’s guidance and let Him direct them. This is to our advantage, because God is far greater and knows better than we do. Just look at Job 38 to see God’s response to the alternative. Jesus demonstrates gentleness repeatedly, but especially in Matthew 21:5—He is the gentle King riding in on a donkey. Then, just seven verses later, He is flipping tables in the temple! This may not be our typical view of gentleness, but it shows us that gentleness can be assertive—it just must never be self-assertive. That is true meekness.

The fruit of the Spirit is one collective whole, and we need them all. While each may be distinct, they operate together and are inseparable. We can’t love in action without love itself, and we need patience to be kind, good, and gentle. Don’t try to work for these virtues—let the Spirit work them through you. Only by the Spirit can we truly be kind, good, and gentle.