Nice: Why We Love to Be Liked and How God Calls Us to More

Niceness is something many of us have had instilled into us since an early age. We're taught to be pleasant and polite, not to offend others, to play by the rules. And it's all too easy to equate niceness with being a "good Christian."In this challenging book, Sharon Hodde Miller attempts to dispel that myth, encouraging us that:"God did not call you to be nice."In the first half of the book, she examines the fruit of niceness and identifies some of the traps we can all too easily fall into such as using niceness to win us acceptance and praise, or allowing it to inhibit our courage and lead us to be inauthentic.In the second half of the book, she goes on to explore how we can tackle this idol of niceness and cultivate a tree that bears better fruit.It is a thought-provoking read with some relatable real-life stories and some memorable illustrations that bring the points to life. I don't think I've highlighted quite so much in a book since I read Sharon Hodde Miller's last book "Free Of Me," and there are several parts I plan to return to in order to reflect some more.