Fruit of the Spirit -- Goodness

Chuckle: "To those of you who are still having a hard time understanding all this Southern stuff, bless your hearts, I hear they are fixin' to have classes on "Southernness" as a second language!"

Quote: “The monument of a great man (person) is not of granite or marble or bronze. It consists of his goodness, his deeds, his love, and his compassion.” --Alfred Armand Montapert

"Let us not become weary in doing good. . ." (Galatians 6:9 NIV). "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. . . . But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:16,22-23 NIV).

The Greek word translated "goodness" in our passage is rarely used in the New Testament. It appears only four times, all in Paul's writings (see Romans 15:14; Galatians 5:23; Ephesians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11). The term communicates the idea of showing generosity and benevolence toward others. Each of us has an understanding of what "good" means. So, I suppose this fruit of the Spirit is simply being good to people. In His Meditations, Marcus Aurelius says, “waste no more time arguing what a good man should be; (just) be one.” (Parentheses mine).

Scripture affirms that God alone is truly good (Psalm 14:1,3; Mark 10:18). God expects us as His children, however, to demonstrate goodness as a characteristic produced in our lives by the Holy Spirit. Displaying such goodness or doing what is right results from a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ and touches the lives of non-Christians.

Doing what is right is another way of saying "practicing goodness." Goodness and righteousness are closely related and both have a moral quality about them. The Bible teaches us that goodness -- the quality that moves us to do what is right comes from a personal relationship with God through faith in Christ. In that relationship, believers desire to please God and become as much like Christ in character as possible.

How can I do what is right? What steps do I need to take to develop the quality of goodness? If you have pondered these questions, you might benefit by reflecting on this truth: Goodness, and other fruit of the Spirit, results from a close love relationship with God. Jesus said, "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5b NIV). It is in the power of the Holy Spirit that we bear fruit of the Spirit, including goodness.

“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” --Henry David Thoreau

“It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirring of the good. Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes, not through states, not between classes, not between political parties either, but right through every human heart and through all human hearts.” –Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Love, Jerry & Dotse