I know, I know, it has definitely been more than two weeks since I last posted. I hate not being consistent, but this is a very busy time in my life, and I cannot wait until I get to a point where I can be consistent in my posting here again. Thank you all for coming back every time, no matter how long it takes for me to get new content out here.
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When I looked at my list to see what fruit of the Spirit was next for me to cover, my first thought was “How in the world am I going to do this?”. Goodness seems like such a basic word, and I personally have a hard time separating it from kindness. For example, if I am told to be good, I immediately think of being kind to someone. Maybe you are a total expert on goodness, and have been studying it deeply for years, but maybe you’re like me and don’t really understand it too much. I want to understand this more, because there are so many times in the Bible where God is said to be good.
The very first time that the word “good” is used in the Bible is in Genesis 1. After God had made light, it is said that “God saw that the light was good.” Then, God makes the seas and says that it, too, was good. Plants, the sun, the moon, the stars, and animals are all called good. In verse 31, however, after man had been created, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” The delicate, complex creation of man was not just good; it was very good. That in itself is such a wonderful thing, because our worth has been defined since the beginning of creation. Not only were our bodies made by the Lord, but when it was finished, it was called very good.
If we are called good, then why do we have to learn how to portray goodness in our life? Even though God’s creation of us is a beautiful thing, and indeed good, the fall of Adam and Eve caused us to have a sin nature. David writes this of all of mankind in Psalm 14: “They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14:3). Our sin nature has caused us to be corrupt, which is why we are separated from God, who is good. “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.” (Psalm 25:8).
Personally, I think it is beautiful that Scripture is lined up the way it is: we are shown our sin nature and how we have temptations of the flesh, but then we are also not left without hope. God always exists as a perfect example, and sent Jesus on this earth to show us what it means to be righteous and fruitful while going through life. Before his death and resurrection, Jesus spent time with those who were considered social outcasts, shared his love with so many different people, and listened to those who were hurt and broken. This was all to show the world who Jesus was, and to display the glory and power of God.
At one point in his life, a rich man asked Jesus what good things he can do to enter into eternal life. Jesus’ response was this: “‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who does good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.’” (Matthew 19:17). The best way that we can portray goodness in our lives is by living righteously and following through on what the Bible instructs us to do. Loving people, serving them, and engaging in fellowship with them are some ways that we can mirror Jesus’ actions during his ministry.
As we are doing this, make sure our goodness is not exclusive. It is easy to serve those that are good to you, and loving those that care about you is something we find really easy to do. However, the Bible does not say to be exclusive with our spiritual fruit we bear. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10). Jesus showed His goodness to everyone, including sinners that died without believing in Him and accepting His salvation. Goodness is not for your gain, or to impress those around you, but it is for the glory of the Father alone. He will work in their hearts, but it is your job to be bearing this fruit and mirroring the life of Christ.
I know that this is confusing: trust me, I’m still not too confident in all of this. That’s okay though! If goodness is something you feel compelled to work on, and to become more like Jesus in your everyday life, pray this quick prayer. It is from Psalm 119, and I think that using psalms are beautiful ways to pray, because they are songs written by people to God, and I know I often use worship as a way to pray to God to praise him and to ask for supplication. Don’t just pray this though: work in your life to increase in goodness. Study what Jesus did while He was on this earth, and mirror His works in every part of your day.
Prayer for goodness:
“You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.” (Psalm 119:68)
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