Goodness -
Living a life of integrity and purity; virtue and holiness in action
A life compelled by God’s love within us to be righteousness and desiring to be a blessing to God and others.
A life where we seek to honor God first and foremost in our life.
A life that will bless and benefit of others.
Goodness is not simply being moral- but is lifestyle of worship to our Savior, thus the outflow of our worship will be the blessing, not us as humans, but our life of worship to Him whom we adore.
It is us allowing the Holy Spirit who moves us to goodness. Human effort falls short of true goodness. We can strive to be good and we can desire to be better, but ultimately; it is the living power of the Holy Spirit at work within us that brings forth goodness.
Jesus asks the question, to a man who, “ran up to him and fell on his knees before him." asking, "'Good teacher...‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’"
I love how Jesus often responds to questions with questions, ‘Why do you call me good?’ ‘No one is good – except God alone.” Jesus will often times respond with a question because He wants His inquistor, and for us the reader of the text, to think through the question that was first asked. Jesus wants us to stop, think and not just have Jesus spoon feed us because He knows that allowing us time to stop and think will help us to have a deeper understanding of where our base thinking is coming from, and what our world view might be on the question, and our perceptions of how we might want Jesus to answer. Jesus’ teachings are always meant to break through our mindset and reveal our narrative verses His truth.
Jesus' lesson to us is that goodness does not come from human effort, but rather from God Himself - through the power of the Holy Spirit whom dwells within the follower of Christ.
After reading this, you might think to yourself, "What do you mean! I'm a good person!" I do this and this and this, and I don't do this and this and this." But the Bible tells us that “there is none who does good.” Romans 3:12
True goodness was displayed in the person of Jesus – and only Jesus.
True goodness is without blemish and sin, and we are sinful beings.
It is only through the renewing and transforming work of the Holy Spirit that is at work within us that goodness flows out from us.
Goodness is something God moves in us for the benefit of others, not simply to be a good person. When the Spirit compels us to display goodness, Matthew 5:16 says we are to, "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
It is for bringing glory to our heavenly Father, it is not for the sake of making us feel good about ourselves, it is not always for the sake of making others feel good, sometimes displaying goodness might mean lovingly confronting someone's sin. Goodness may look like many things, caring for the poor, bringing meals to a young single mother, praying for someone who has wronged you and for reconciliation.
Goodness doesn't always "feel" good - but it is the working of the Spirit to bring God's goodness to this world for a specific reason, so that He will be given glory and so others will come to Him and find eternal salvation.