From the beginning of time, God declared that everything He created was good. God’s goodness is an attribute that characterizes not just what He does but who He is.
The psalms especially are full of lyrics about God’s goodness:
“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6 NLT)
“How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.” (Psalm 31:19 NLT)
God’s goodness in this Bible verse is included as one of the fruits of the Spirit:
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)
We all know that God is good and that He has good things for His children. Like a good Father, He takes care of and provides for His children. God’s goodness is seen in many activities.
His Holy Spirit gives us strength and power to thrive in this world as we wait for His Kingdom to be fully established. We wait on Him trusting that He will come through for us when our bodies are sick or our bank accounts are stretched or our relationships are strained.
I love Psalm 27:13: “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” It encourages me to hold on in tough times knowing that I will see God’s goodness in the here and now.
Where is God’s Goodness?
Do you ever look around our world and wonder where God’s goodness is? We see war, famine, poverty, shootings, disease, hatred, racism – the list goes on and on.
If God is so good, then why are all these bad things happening? Why is there so much violence and chaos and terror?
Why doesn’t God do something? Why doesn’t He just come down and fix this mess?
Maybe God has done something, and He’s waiting on us, His children, to express it.
Christians Should Strive to be Like God
God’s goodness is one of the attributes that makes Him God. As Christians, we should make every effort to be like our Father, in loving others, being generous, and being and doing good.
“For you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9 NLT)
Because we have been set free from sin and darkness and now walk in Christ’s freedom and light, we have a responsibility to “show others the goodness of God”. God’s goodness flowing in us and through us should distinguish us from the rest of the world.
God Works Through People
Many times God chooses to work through people – but not just any people – His kids. You see, we are His ambassadors, His co-laborers. 1 Corinthians 3:9 says, “For we are co-workers in God’s service.” God calls His children to partner with Him to bring His goodness to others.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8 NLT)
As God’s children, we regularly experience His goodness. We see His faithfulness in His provision, His presence and His love. But there is a world of people who know little to nothing of His goodness. As God is good to us, we must be good to others.
Often I think we wait around for God’s goodness to just fall from the sky or appear suddenly out of nowhere, and maybe it does sometimes. But I wonder how many times God is waiting on us to share His goodness with others.
Ours is not a faith of observation only but of putting action to our faith and doing something to demonstrate it, as the Bible says in James 1:22. Otherwise, our faith is dead, worthless, and pointless.
How often does the Holy Spirit drop an idea in our heart to bless someone with an unexpected treat or gift, but we don’t?
How often does He urge us to speak a word of encouragement, yet we remain silent?
How often does He press us to urgently pray for a person or situation, but we do not?
Respond to God’s Leading
Is it possible that people and situations could be radically impacted by the goodness of God if we respond to His leading? YES!
And I will boldly suggest that God is waiting on us, His children, to extend His goodness to every person and circumstance that we encounter. He is calling us to speak goodness into impossible situations and do good works to help those who are oppressed, hopeless or lost.
What are some practical ways that we can do this?
- See yourself as God’s co-worker, called to bring His goodness into every situation. Commit to intentionally distribute the goodness of God at home, at work, at school – everywhere!
- Train yourself to listen for the Holy Spirit’s leading. Realize that Satan isn’t going to urge you to shovel your neighbor’s driveway! That’s God leading you to extend His goodness in this world.
- Be careful not to be so busy or consumed with daily responsibilities that you don’t notice when God is prompting you to share His goodness. Ask God to help you stay in tune with His Spirit.
Acts 10:38 says that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and … he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
We need to recognize that the difference between someone experiencing God’s goodness or not may depend on our response to His leading. Let’s not make our Father wait on us any longer; let’s choose to be like Jesus, going around doing good and advancing the Kingdom of God every chance we get.
~Written by Jennell Houts
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