Living In God's Goodness

By Samantha Rodriguez

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”—Galatians 6:10 (NIV)

Goodness is something we don’t always talk about in our society, and I actually think it’s because the word “good” is overused. Most of the time, our go-to adjective is the word “good.” We say that our food tastes good, that outfit looks good, we had a good day, or we’re feeling good. One of the fruits of the Spirit is goodness, and because we’ve been so desensitized to the rich meaning of the word, we must rediscover the reality of what goodness is all about. That’s what we will do today!

God is good. It’s not just an adjective describing who He is, it IS who He is in His very being. We must rely on Him to see what goodness in the world looks like. Everything that holds some true goodness in the world retains its goodness because of the imprint of God, the Creator, that it has. The goodness of family and community, of intentional friendships, of delicious food, of joyous laughter, of marriage and birth, of sweet celebrations, of a beautiful scene in nature. The list can go on and on because, despite the fact that this world is broken and corrupted by sin, it still retains glimpses of God’s goodness and slices of heaven because He allows us to see eternity in the world around us so we can continue growing in faith and hope.

Not only can we see and experience God’s goodness on earth, but we can also cultivate it in the way we live which is why we also can’t have goodness without the Spirit. Knowing the goodness of God in Scripture helps us to see how we can walk in His goodness towards others.

The story I immediately think of when considering God’s goodness is when Jesus extends grace to the woman caught in adultery (John 8). In this story, some Pharisees and other Jews throw a woman caught in adultery to the ground in front of Jesus in order to publicly stone her as the law had said. They ask Jesus first what He thinks they should do in an attempt to trip Him up, and Jesus simply begins to write in the dust on the ground. When they continue asking Him, He stands up and tells them that the person with no sin should be the first to throw a stone. He continues to write on the ground as they all walk away one by one. He asks the woman, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” (John 8:10 NIV). She tells Him no one has. Jesus responds with grace and truth and says, “’Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin’” (John 8:11 NIV).

In this story, we see that goodness is all about extending grace and treating others with gentleness while still sharing truth and calling them to live in the light that only Jesus offers. We have the responsibility and the honor to live in the goodness of God and share it with others, so let’s do that today.

Pause: Consider how God is good. Think about how you’ve seen His goodness in the past and how you’re seeing it in your present.

Practice: God’s goodness should overflow into your actions. Today, share His goodness with someone around you by treating them with grace, kindness, and love like Jesus did to the woman in John 8.

Pray: Father, You are a good God. You are the definition of good and, even when it’s hard to see that, I can believe it because of all You have done in the past both in Scripture and in my own life. You are faithful, and I ask for You to help me remember that as I go about my day and try to share Your goodness with others. I want to live in Your goodness, God. Amen.