The “Be Nice Game” is rooted in the false ethic of reciprocity which says if we’re nice to others, they will be nice to us. It’s NONSENSE and a “Golden Rule Ruse.”

As Christians, we know that people do not always reciprocate when we treat them with Christ-like kindness, patience, and acceptance. Boy, do I know.

If we decide to perform for people to gain acceptance, one of the most important rules is that we must be nice and considerate of others. This “rule” is a trap because it does not always apply in a world where it’s “every man and every woman for themselves.”

Many Christians are confused about the notion of being nice. It is a good thing to be nice, right? Being nice is the way we imitate Christ’s love, right?

Of course we need to be nice!

We want to be treated well, so we always treat others well. If we are nice, we will be accepted and allowed to stay in the game. Or so the thinking goes.

But God wants us to be more than nice. He wants us to model Jesus and let the Holy Spirit flow through us to others. Our demeanor and acts of kindness must be contextualized around Christ. We are not to seek approval from others by being nice and getting people to like us.

For me, I ask God to shape my efforts to be nice with his love and character.