For Goodness’ Sake
I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:14-16
For goodness’ sake! I feel like that’s a soundtrack of my childhood. Most times, it was said after I did something. “What happened,” asked my mom. Someone, probably my older brother, replied something like this, “Kent knocked over the vase.” The next response was predictable. Mom said, “Kent! For goodness’ sake!” So for most of my childhood, I thought ‘goodness’ was not really ‘good.’ Fortunately, we all get older and learn language that exemplifies the actual meaning of the word when in its proper context. Yet once we learn those words in their context, we never reflect on them. That is why on want to reflect on one of these words and its context today, the goodness of God.
It is very difficult to acknowledge the goodness of God when you are having a rough day. Maybe a relationship has become toxic, or finances do not look right. You might even be in a situation where you just do not feel good or something tragic has occurred. Life happens and we are not promised a world where every day is filled with sunshine and blue skies. I heard something from a sermon the other day about how challenges test your faith. It can either cause you to either become filled with doubt of God’s existence or remember the goodness of God. It will either question your faith or strengthen it. The verses that keep me grounded when times seem either bleak or devoid of the feeling of God’s presence come from Acts 27. In a storm where the sailors were convinced that they would die, Paul gave them inspiration saying, “[A]n angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.” (Acts 27:23b-25) One wonders what ‘goodness’ comes of standing trial for anything, but when you are in a storm, being able to get to the trial does not sound all that bad, does it?
We were meant for goodness because God is good. I kept coming back to this idea of God’s goodness not because I questioned its existence. It was because when things are bad, it is hard to see good. However, when my thoughts pivot to all the things God has done for me, I begin to appreciate the many blessings He gave me. When my wife and I are arguing, I remember how wonderful and loving she is. Okay, not at that moment but certainly after the fact. 😊 When our refrigerator went out, I was grateful that my family was in a place where we could replace it without serious financial hardship. We all have challenges and storms like Paul was facing, but we are reassured of ‘God in His goodness’ to look out for us. Furthermore, we are filled with that same goodness through the Holy Spirit. Today’s verses are timely as we reflect on the Good News of Jesus throughout the world. Paul was convinced of the goodness of the new Christians that he spoke to. We too are instilled with that same goodness to inspire others and share so that all can see not only God’s goodness but also who God truly is.
God’s goodness is a gift that should be both accepted and shared. A couple of things to derive from this statement. First, when things look bleak, we can have confidence in God’s goodness to carry us through any hardship even when we may not understand something clearly at last. Second, we accept our obligation to show others who God is and remind fellow followers that He is still in control. So in the words of Paul, let us unleash the goodness within us to others. What does God’s goodness mean to you? Who can you share the goodness of God’s word, grace, patience, and love with today? My prayer is that we can represent who God is to others … for goodness’ sake. Amen.