Be good!

Faith + goodness + knowledge + self-control + perseverance + godliness + kindness + love = Effective & Efficient Living!

We’ve been told all our lives to be good. When my mom told us to be good at church, it meant sit still, be quiet and listen. When she told us to be good at school it meant, obey the rules, listen to the teacher and be nice to the other kids. When she told me to be good when I went on a date, it meant … well I’ll let you fill in the blanks on that one. Today, when I leave for work and my husband says, be good, it means be quiet, listen and be nice to the other kids! Just kidding, it means do the right things today.

So what does it mean when Peter says, to add goodness to our faith. I think it means more than sit still, be quiet and play nice.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve discussed our need and hopefully kindled our desire to live E² lives. Lives seeking to achieve a purpose, which we’ve analyzed to be participating in the divine and avoiding the corrupt. Last week we calculated that faith is a sufficient source for the life we desire. With our eye on that source, let’s begin our discussion of goodness.

“You are … God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of darkness (corrupt) and into his wonderful light (divine).” 1 Peter 2:9 (Parenthetical words are mine, not Peter’s.)

Logic requires that if we are going to show his goodness to others, we need to understand his goodness. One definition offered by Webster for goodness is the best part of anything, the essence. As in the essence of my job is the people. The essence of anything is that which defines its. Look at these verses with me and let’s see what we can learn about the goodness of God.

In the story of the Israelites, God’s people and God Himself often refer to God’s goodness. In Exodus, chapter 33 Moses asked God to show him his ways so that he might understand him more fully, to go with them and to show him His glorious presence. The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, …. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” God was choosing to show mercy and compassion despite the sin of the people. He would go with them as Moses had asked.

Generations later, in Nehemiah, chapter 9, the people are recounting the history of their ancestors. Again and again, they rehearse the mercy and compassion shown by their God. In verse 35, they make this statement, “Even while they had their own kingdom, they did not serve you, though you showered your goodness on them.”

In Acts, chapter 14, Paul and Barnabas were sharing the Good News about the living God and they said, “In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of his goodness.”

The Psalmist was confident he would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13) He was confident goodness and mercy would follow him all the days of his life. (Psalm 23:6)

Over and over in the story of God and his people, his goodness is connected to his mercy and compassion. In the passage in Exodus, one of Moses’ requests was that God show him his ways so that he might understand him better. God responded by showing his mercy and compassion. This strongly suggest that the essence or goodness of God is his mercy and compassion. Indeed, we would have no good news without his mercy and compassion!

Think of some of the good people in your life. Are mercy and compassion on the list of things that define them? I would venture the majority of you would say, yes. We know goodness when we experience it. So do the people you interact with every day.

Add to your faith, goodness …

Thanks for listening,

See you next Sunday

Ronda

Several weeks ago we talked about a Sunday school teacher who would have us put our name in every time we Israel in a verse, try this one that way! It will motivate you to be good!

“I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love.
I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
which he has granted according to his mercy and love.”
Isaiah 63:7 NLT