'Nice Is Not Good'

As Christians, we can be ‘nice’ even when we are not cultivating the virtues of charity and generosity. Prince Charming, when confronted about an affair after he was married to Cinderella, told Cinderella that “I was raised to be charming, not sincere.” Even Christians can adopt lesser qualities and neglect the more important qualities God wants us to cultivate. Jesus warns of the disconnect when he spoke to the Pharisees. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”(Matt 12:25)

These two quotes from “Into the Woods” highlight the difference from the outside of a person (actions/words) and the inside of a person (thoughts/motivations/ethics). God does not want there to be such a divide. Our hearts and our actions should be of one cloth. We can put up a good show for awhile, but who we really are will show through in times of stress, conflict, and secrecy. God doesn’t want us to act nice or sincere to make someone think better of us. He wants our behavior to come from a heart devoted to Him and formed by the Holy Spirit. “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”(Matt 12:26) We all struggle to have fully integrated lives where our action and speech match our inner selves. However, the Holy Spirit can produce an integrity in us when we cooperate with His work in our lives. 

How are you doing today? Do your words match your heart? Are you cooperating with the Holy Spirit to form the virtues of the faith within you? God wants to change you from the inside out. Ask the Lord in prayer to show you the next step He wants to take in the formation of your spirit. Listening to and following God’s prompt is the key to the happy and abundant life.

 Blessings,

Jonathan