Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness. (George Sand, pseudonym for 19th century French novelist, Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin)
Sand suggests a number of characteristics of kindness. But what does it mean to “give without hesitation”? Do we give quickly to another’s need? What about “losing without regret”? Are we willing to sacrifice if necessary? Does “acquiring without meanness” mean working fairly to earn what we have? Maybe the summary is to be generous.
Since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge . . . see that you also excel in this grace of giving (2 Corinthians 8:7).