“It is that particular Wise and good God, who is the author and owner of our system, that I propose for the object of my praise and adoration. He is not above caring for us, being pleased with our praise and offended when we slight Him or neglect his Glory…I love Him therefore for his goodness, and I adore Him for his wisdom. Let me then not fail to praise my God continually, for it is His due, and it is all I can return for His many favors and great goodness to me.” Benjamin Franklin
Is the Spirit of Goodness in you?
Here is how you can find out. Discover what the fruits of goodness are from God’s most precious Word by examining the passages below and asking yourself:
- How do I exhibit Goodness in my daily life?
- What can I do to develop a better attitude of Goodness?
- What blocks goodness from working and being exhibited in me?
- How can I make Goodness function better, stronger and faster even in times of uncertainly and stress?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
Goodness is the engagement of love (Amos 5:15; Prov. 25:22; Matthew 7:12; 19:16; Luke 6:27, 35; Rom. 12:17; II Cor. 5:20; Eph. 5:8-9; I Pet. 3:11; II Pet. 1:3-8)! It displays integrity, honesty and compassion to others and allows us to do the right thing. Goodness takes our virtue and excellence and models it to others in the action of love. It is doing the right thing even when it does not feel like we should, as Joseph was betrayed and sold as a slave, he chose to make his situation good, to help and treat others better than he needed too. Goodness is the model for people to repent and accept Yeshua.
Badness, cruelty, ruthlessness, depravity, debauchery and evil are the opposites. When we behave in those ways, we are merciless and unscrupulous in our dealings toward others! When we fight against each other, especially in the church, it is hurtful and pathetic in God’s eyes!
Here are positive examples from Scripture (Gen. 39; Luke 10:30-37; Acts 7:60; 9:36; Luke 23:34; Gal. 6:10; II Thess. 1:11)
Here is are negative examples from Scripture (Gen. 4:8; Duet. 25:17-19; Joshua 7; Luke 9:54)
Goodness is the fruit that virtue and the rest of character traits combine with to produce endearment. It is the quality that makes people liked and even lovable by others. It is what is attractive and luring, that catches people’s attention and respect. This is the quintessential element that attracts people to you. It builds marriages and shows God’s love to others around us. It is virtue in action; it is being a role model and putting into practice excellence in all that we do, to God and others. Goodness enables us to be liked and enjoyed, even if an enemy comes against us (Prov. 25:22). It is the taste of what is to come, the flavor of how we are to be (Psalm 34:8; 119:103). It is our expression of worship and gratitude to Yeshua played out in our lives, so we can enjoy Him and He can enjoy us, and so life can be more enjoyable for all.
Why are we to be good? Because God is good (Psalm 86:5; 145:4-13)! God has defeated evil, so why would any rational person seek failure unless they are deluded as satan is (Matt. 5:43-48; 25:41; John 12:31; 16:9-11; Col. 2:15; Rev. 20:1- 3)! We serve a God of love and in so doing we are to love (1 Pet. 2:1-3; 1 John 4:7-21)! Goodness is the application of love, whereas pride is a love only for ourselves (Prov. 16:18; 29:23)! Being good will help us be patient, kind, understanding and forgiving to others. It will be the fruit that helps us build each other up, build His Church, reach His community, restore relationships and seek the best in all we do. It is excellence in action! It is what builds great societies its absence causes those same societies to collapse in debauchery!
Questions
- How would you define Goodness?
- What are the things that cause you to act bad or ruthless?
- How does ruthlessness counteract Goodness?
- How can you make Eph. 5:8-9 work in you, even through times of waiting and confusion, even when people are rude and evil to you?
- When have you been filled with Goodness the most?
- In what situation did you fail to have Goodness in which you should have?
- What issue is in your life that would improve with more Goodness?
- Think through the steps you need to take to put Goodness into action in a specific instance. Such as learning to be good to people who are rude to you or not letting your circumstances get in the way of how you treat others?
Remember; the fruits and character cost dearly, they are not cheap, their price was the life of our Messiah. Yeshua bought them for us, for our betterment and for His glory. We must not take for granted what Cost Him so much!