West Park Baptist Church

goodness

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Abide: Goodness

Have you ever been called a “Goody Two-Shoes”?

That name comes from a children’s book published in 1765 called “The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes.”

The story tells the tale of Margery Meanwell, a poor girl who only has one shoe. When a wealthy gentleman learns of her situation, he in pity buys her a second shoe which fills Margery with gratitude. She proceeds to tell everyone “I’ve got two shoes!” In the course of the story she pays that gift forward later in life, using the wealth she gains to be good to others.

Nowadays it’s not a compliment to be called “Goody Two-Shoes.” If someone has ever said that of you or called you a “goody-goody” or something like that, it was probably critical. We don’t navigate the cynical domain of this world long before we realize the badness of it, the corrupt nature of even our best motives, and the risk associated with pushing against those realities. Why do I say “risk?” As soon as you posit that there’s good in this world and try to live in that reality, someone will try to put you down.

King David understood that cynical reality, for his time period was not really so different from today. I’m thankful that David put devotional thoughts and prayer into the bad world and how to cultivate a heart of goodness.

Psalm 4:6–8

[6] There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”
[7] You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
[8] In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (ESV)

David begins Psalm 4 by remembering a time in the past when God helped him. He’s in another hard situation now, this time reflecting on the abuse God’s people get by those who “love vain words and seek after lies” (2). He’s in a situation where bad guys have figured out that goody goodies get nowhere and flattery and lying are the way to survive this world. David says, “not so fast, men. Consider the LORD.” Verse 4 says, “Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself.” Godly is synonymous with “good,” for God alone is good. The bad guys look at this world only, and the conclusion they draw is “goodness gets you nowhere. Look out for yourself.” That worldview completely leaves God out of the picture.

David says that believers should not live cynical lives, angry at the abuse of others and seeking revenge (4). Instead we should not abandon goodness; we must seek its source out in God Himself. David paraphrases what many in his generation and many in our generation ask, “Who will show us some good?” He answers by looking to God: “Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!” (6). David says that seeing the LORD in His goodness will transform the godly into the good people this world needs. When we are satisfied with the goodness of God, the uniquely unfathomable goodness of God, we will overflow with goodness toward others.

How do we cultivate this goodness in our lives?

  • Really take time to think about the goodness of God to you. When has God shown good to you? How have you been surprised by His help when you knew you did not deserve it? Praise God for those displays of His goodness. Spend time worshipping Him.
  • Read a gospel and focus on the goodness of Jesus. See His goodness to the leper when He says, “I am willing, be clean” (Matt. 8:3), His goodness to the woman at the well when He says, “I who speak to you am He” (John 4:26), and His goodness on the cross when He answered “This day you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Worship Christ who shows us the goodness of the Father.
  • Show the goodness of God to others. Paul the apostle wrote to the Roman church “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another” (15:14). Paul knew that the believers there were full of goodness because they had been saved and set apart by the only good God. He urged them to join him in his mission to see others saved, churches started, and people introduced to the goodness of God.

Friends, while it may not feel good to be called a Goody Two-Shoes, I think it’s actually a great opportunity, like Margery Meanwell had, to run around proclaiming to everyone “I’ve got good news! I’ve got good news!” When God graces this world with His goodness, no cynicism or evil can put it down. Let’s be people filled with the goodness of God.

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

 

 

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Counsel for the Heart: Bearing Spiritual Fruit (Gal. 5:22-23)

Would you like to know a guaranteed way to glorify God?

The Lord told us in John 15:8 –

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

We glorify God by bearing much fruit. Today we go back into Galatians 5:22-23 to examine more closely the fruit of the Spirit. By knowing what type of fruit the Holy Spirit produces we will grow in opportunities to glorify our Father. This is also our memory passage, so remember to meditate and memorize as you read today.

Galatians 5:22–23

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

One of the most helpful things we can do with this list of spiritual fruit is to understand what each part of the fruit means, what it replaces, and even what tends to be a counterfeit version of each part. I’ve been helped so much by the Bible study resource Galatians for You by Tim Keller1, and I’ve created a chart below based on his helpful explanation of the fruit of the Spirit.

Fruit  Definition Opposite Counterfeit
Love Love and care for a person based on their good, not on what they bring to you Self-protection; self-promotion Attraction for someone based on what they add to you or how they make you feel
Joy Happiness and delight in God for Who He is and what He does in the world Hopelessness; depression Happiness based on changing circumstances
Peace Confidence and rest in the sovereign wisdom and control of God Anxiety and fear Not caring about something; feeling indifferent
Patience The ability to stand up under the pressures of life without lashing out in anger toward God and others Resentment toward God and others Cynical lack of care
Kindness Motivation that serves others for their good in a practical way, out of a sense of complete inner security in Christ Envy; refusal to rejoice in another’s prosperity Serving others to ultimately manipulate them or prove to God or others our worth.
Goodness Also means integrity; being one person or the same person wherever you are Hypocrisy Speaking your mind and not holding back truth to make yourself feel better or look good
Faithfulness To be absolutely trustworthy and always true to your word Being a friend only in good times Being loving but never willing to confront when needed
Gentleness Humility, specifically self-forgetfulness, prioritizing others and responding calmly even when they are aggressive Attitude of superiority or self-absorption Spirit of inferiority, speaking ill about yourself
Self-control Ability to endure in hard times by focusing on the important not the urgent Impulsiveness or recklessness Willpower to endure difficulties to prove your worth or strength

Sometimes it’s necessary to slow down in our Bible reading and really dig in to specific words to better know the Lord’s message. This passage with this list is a case in point: we need to really understand these aspects of the Spirit’s fruit. It’s all so we can bear the fruit that brings joy and glory to our Father.

Today a group of men came to our home to cut down some trees that we had let grow over the years but that had become a nuisance. It is amazing how much more light, area to grow other things and even just to play in that the removal of those trees provided.

Walking in the Spirit is like that, I think. All of us have some motivating attitudes that are contrary to the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus came to deliver us from that ruling flesh that loves to assert self and sow destructive works. The Holy Spirit is the power to come in and chop those works down at their root level and open up your life to the light and freedom of God (Gal. 5:1).

Let’s talk it over:

  • Where are you seeing growth this week in the Spirit?
  • Do you see any opposites in your attitudes and actions?
  • Do you spot any counterfeits to the Spirit’s fruit?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we believe that it is for freedom that You came to set us free. That freedom is the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that the Spirit produces. This is the fruit we see in You, Lord. We love You because of who You are and how You shared that fruit with people all the time. There was never a time when You were not bearing fruit, and You are worthy of the greatest freedom and joy. Yet You took on our record of fleshly works and received the punishment for reckless, self-absorbed living that defied God and defiled our fellow man. Oh, we love and thank You for paying for those many many sins. But we love and thank You all the more that now You share Your Spirit with us so that we might walk with You and experience what You alone deserve. Help us to glorify our Father by bearing much fruit today. Amen.

Worship in Song:

His Mercy is More

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  1. Galatians for You resource by Tim Keller. Pages 141-142 used for the chart above.