The Goodness of God

Goodness. God is good. We say it and sing it all the time, but what does it actually mean? How do we take on

and live out this goodness as God’s children, setting an example of Him for the world to see? To be good generally means to have an absence of bad, or evil. But just this simple definition would also match holiness ~ being purified and set apart. So, there must be something that separates it further and gives it unique properties.

To be good as a state of being, and not just as a behavioral action, implies a combination of purity and kindness. These words do not do this topic enough justice, but we as believers have to begin somewhere in the vastness of our limitations as human beings to wrestle through these characteristics of our God. Otherwise, how can we honestly say that we believe that God is good?

God Himself permeates this sense of always making choices that will result in the benefit and blessing of others. It may not look so in the moment, but it will always prove to be true when endured until the end. Goodness is also at the essence of God’s character because His very Word says to “…taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8, ESV). The Lord is something to be enjoyed and in which to be delighted. And, there is blessing when we choose to take part in Him. Yet, to me, it also has a sense of being “healthy” ~ as in, He is good for us. Because He is good, He brings life to our very being. He strengthens and grows us, producing within us His character.

So, what do we do with this? How do we take on this goodness and live it out faithfully? As believers, we should be a delight and an encouragement for others to be around. Our lives should not just be moralistic and legalistic goodness that is a forced behavior. Rather, it needs to be a quality of the soul that gives preference, not deference, to others and that benefits their lives. In all that we do, is it for the good of others, just as Christ works for our good? It may not always look like it in the moment, but do we make sacrificial decisions now that are for the good and benefit of others in the future?

Father,

Search our hearts.

Purify us and reveal to us where our pride gets in the way of truly exhibiting Your goodness in our lives and towards others. Help us to honestly seek our motivations behind what we say and do so that we can be authentic vessels of Your goodness.