Engage Goodness
“But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good,”
What makes someone a good person? I’m sure we’ve all heard a story or two about a person who makes bad decision after bad decision that ends with, “but she’s actually a really good person.” OR - how many times have you heard someone justify their own selfish behavior by saying, “but I’m a good person.”
Let’s be honest, we’ve all heard someone describe a relatively mediocre man (no offense) by saying, “He’s a good guy.” But what is a “good guy?” What are we measuring him against? A serial killer? Yeah! He’s definitely better than that. But GOOD? I think we have gotten a little lax with our definition of good.
I think we’re confusing “good” with “nice.”
The definition of good isn’t: politically correct; nice; passive; persuadable; kind. Good means good: morally right; righteousness. That’s the definition - Morally right; righteousness.
Good doesn’t mean nice. Good means good, and, unfortunately, that’s not really an accurate depiction of all the girls who’ve claimed, “I’m really a good person” or all the men I’ve heard described as “good guys.”
A good person is one who does good.
A good person is a person who strives to live with integrity, to invest in their community, to better themselves. A good person strives to be morally upright and righteous. A good person doesn’t use their goodness as an excuse for bad behavior. They embrace their goodness to use it to DO good in the world.
It’s true that everyone is made in the image and likeness of God. It’s true that we’re all born with goodness, that we’re wired for good, that God is a well of mercy for the times that we don’t act like it. But being born with a goodness that can’t be removed doesn’t excuse us from making good choices.
Being a good person, on its own, isn’t enough.
With each choice we make, we choose to engage or disengage our goodness. And while we are good simply because of the goodness of God, we either become better or worse. We’re either going up or down.
We have to decide who we will become.
I have a friend whose dad often says, “No decision is a decision.” If we don’t make a decision to DO good, we will not BE good. If we don’t strive for goodness, it won’t magically occur. We have to engage our goodness, to become better people. To become more loving, to grow in virtue, to witness of God’s love, we have to try. We have to decide to become good.
I’m after real, authentic goodness. I want to be morally upright. I want to be righteous. I want to live justly. I want to DO good for the One that IS good so I may BE good. Not just for my own glory, honor, and peace - but to bring glory, honor, and peace to our world, to bring the One who is glory, honor, and peace to this weary world.
Father,
We need You. We’re not enough on our own. It’s hard to be good, truly good.
Please help us to choose genuine goodness. We don’t want to be a cheap imitation of You; we want to be real, authentic, witnesses of You and Your goodness and Your glory.
Father, You fulfill every need. Please come and fill us up with Your goodness, with Your love, and with Your ability. We’re not able on our own.
Abba, I don’t want to JUST be a nice person or a kind person - I want to be GOOD through and through. I want goodness to be my defining characteristic. Not nice, GOOD. Morally upright. Living righteousness for Your kingdom, for Your glory, for Your victory.