Nice By Sharon Hodde MillerSample

Day Two

The Bad Fruit of Niceness

Scripture: Matthew 7:16–20

In Matthew 7, Jesus uses an analogy to warn us about false teachers. Although this passage refers to the specific context of false teaching, it derives from a universal principle—bad trees produce bad fruit.

Habitual niceness—that temptation to always agree with people and never stand up for truth—leads to bad fruit, such as inauthenticity, corruption, cowardice, cynicism, self-righteousness, and sentimentality. If you spot any of these fruits in your life, it could be a sign of your own excessive commitment to niceness. 

With all that’s going on in the world, niceness might seem like a minor problem. But this idol is only small in the way that aphids are small. These insects cause mostly superficial damage by ingesting a plant’s sap; however, they can cause serious, if not fatal, harm through the transmission of viruses that kill. Niceness is like that. Its immediate impact seems trivial—people-pleasing, pretending to like a present you hate—but when it becomes a habit of our lives and our faith, its fruit is bad and its long-term harvest is barren. 

When we turn to niceness for peace in our relationships, promotions in our workplace, preference in our community, and power in our ministry, niceness is no longer a harmless social default but an alternative god whose promises compete with Christ. 

I believe that the habit of niceness is hurting our spiritual lives and undermining our credibility in the world. Having said that, I am not advocating that we say whatever we feel and “let the chips fall where they may.” I am reminding us to offer true kindness, from the love of Christ, rather than false “niceness,” from the love of wanting others to like us.

Niceness is a characteristic that most of us love to use, but it can end up using us instead. What each of us needs in place of the superficial virtue of niceness is a soul rooted and abiding in Christ. We need to be transformed so fully and completely that we actually are who we present ourselves to be. We need to cultivate a fruit that, instead of tasting worse than it looks, tastes even better than we could imagine. 

Which of the “bad fruits” of niceness are you most likely to spot in your own life?