The word “Goodness” is “Agathosune” and is used only 4 times in the Bible and it conveys the idea of generosity toward someone else. Goodness is the act of going the second mile in someone’s life. To display goodness is to reach out to others even though THEY DO NOT deserve it.
We sometimes speak of a deed done “out of the goodness of one’s heart,”—that comes close to the meaning Galatians 5:22 but not quite---like all 9 of the attributes in the Fruit of the Spirit, GOODNESS is NOT something we are capable of doing WITHOUT the Holy Spirit. Goodness requires us to be tapped into our GOOD God.
#1 We DISCOVER what goodness is by GETTING TO KNOW God.
We get to know God by reading His WORD!
Psalm 25:8–9 (NIV)“Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in His ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way."
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NIV) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Sometimes God’s Word steps on our toes because our toes need stepped on. Sometimes the lessons we learn are painful ~ occasionally they are pleasant. God will ALWAYS prioritize our goodness over our gladness. God knows that sometimes pain is required in order to save us.
On a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother in the house was looking out the window saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him.
From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal, and, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have some really GOOD scars, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go."
We can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. Not from an alligator but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep pain BUT some of life’s wounds are GOOD because they’re evidence that God would not let us go.
I don’t know about you but I want to spend my life living for the ONE that would not let me go—I want other people to know of His goodness by seeing His goodness on display in me.
That is the second point...
#2 We DISPLAY what goodness is by LIVING FOR GOD!
Ephesians 5:8–14a (NIV) “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible.”
The more you get to know God the more you recognize Him when you see Him.
Matthew 5:16 (NIV) Jesus said, “…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
It is a beautiful thing when we shine for Jesus in this dark world. God wants to express Himself in and through us. How we handle our pain is often a better teacher than anything else we do.
Seminary professor, Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost, asked his class to pray for his wife who was experiencing symptoms that might indicate cancer. Later, Dr. Pentecost reported to the class that the tests were negative, and that his wife’s malady was not a malignancy. The class breathed a sigh of relief…
Dr. Pentecost was not through with his lesson though...He challenged the class concerning their definition of “good.” HE INDICATED THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD SAID THAT “GOD IS GOOD!” because his wife DID NOT HAVE CANCER… (Of course the Doctor didn’t disagree with that—it was very good his wife didn’t have cancer—he was thrilled to get that news). BUT—listen to what he told his class!: Dr. Pentecost said, “God is good. But I say to you that if the doctor’s report had been that my wife DID have cancer, God is still good.”
Dr. Pentecost knew (and taught) that thinking Biblically about the goodness of God requires us to believe deep within ourselves that God is always good regardless of what we may or may not experience.
Romans 8:28 (NIV) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
God is good all the time. All the time God is good.
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