On my first date with my husband, we sat in his bright blue Honda hatchback in the church parking lot and he asked me a question.
“What’s your favorite book of the Bible?”
His question was jarring since I’d been solely fixated on making sure the white eyelet babydoll-cut tunic top I’d worn for our date was hanging in the most flattering way possible. I hadn’t rehearsed a “favorite book of the Bible” speech, but I’d been a Christian-school-Baptist-church kid long enough to have an answer.
“James,” I said.
“Why?”
“Because it’s really clear and it tells me what to do.”
Somehow I found comfort in the clarity of James because I was still young enough to think I could be perfect, what with the book’s directives to consider suffering to be amazing, or the whole if you can’t control your tongue, your faith is false (James 1). I mean, I knew I’d messed up in the past, but with the start of a new day, I could start over at trying to be perfect, right? Or maybe even starting now—well, maybe not right-this-second now, but NOW, as in starting tomorrow. God would surely accept my goodness if it were fully and perfectly good starting tomorrow, right?
The words of James are holy and beautiful and true, but I was misunderstanding them because I was completely fixated on my goodness. I thought James was telling me to strive for joy in suffering and a perfectly controlled tongue and actions that perfectly lined up with every command in the Bible. I didn’t yet understand that having a relationship with Jesus would naturally produce the goodness James spoke about. I didn’t understand that the goodness I was to be pursuing was the goodness of God, fruit of the Holy Spirit, not the “goodness” of Scarlet.
Psalm 31 declares, “How great is your goodness”—meaning God’s goodness (Psalm 31:19). If we’re aiming to bear fruit and striving to be thought of as good for the sake of our own identity, not only are we doing it wrong, but we will never get it right. God is good. We are broken. Pursuing goodness in our own strength also means pursuing heartbreak, failure, hopelessness, and even idolatry.
But if we pursue joy in the Lord, if we look at His goodness and remember the ways He is good to us—His power over death and ability to forgive us, and His promise to love us unfailingly—we can be people marked by His fruit. Not fruit that says, “Come see how good I look in my white eyelet shirt and with my awesome knowledge of the book of James!” But fruit that whispers that I am “radiant with joy because of the LORD’S goodness” (Jeremiah 31:12).
Beauty, goodness, and joy pour out of us when, and only when, we are enraptured by and grateful for the goodness of the Lord. And in my limited experience, the more time I spend seeing and enjoying Him in the pages of the Bible, the more clearly I see that He is, just as our hearts hope, so very good.
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61 thoughts on "Goodness"
Goodness comes from shifting the focus away from me, me, me to God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.
I need to get into the book of james !
“God is good. We are broken. Pursuing goodness in our own strength also means pursuing heartbreak, failure, hopelessness, and even idolatry.”
Wow! What a revelation to me! This message penetrate deep in my heart.
needed this clarification of what your own goodness will come from
Desire to honor God in all my ways is considered God’s goodness for man. The free will to give my choices to God and try my best to be formed daily is His goodness for me. God is so good to me and in one day His grace abounds every aspect unnoticed and known
This really hit me! Thank you!
He is good all the time.
It’s not “I have to be good, or God will punish me” Rather, it’s I choose to be good because of God’s willingness to love me, right where I’m at.
I was scared and worried this morning and I caught myself comparing myself to others. Feeling like things never come easy to me the way it seems to come to others. And the lord spoke to me through this devotional and a prayer podcast I listen to. He reminded me of his goodness and I realized that I was getting caught in ungratefulness when really we are blessed in so many ways. God is good, sometimes we just need to be reminded of that and look at everything God has given us instead of looking at what we don’t have and comparing ourselves to others. Thank you lord for your goodness.
This spoke to me today. I have always had this tendency of needing to be good because it’s what the Bible says, but I’m approaching it from an angle of using my own strength, determination, and resolve to be good, rather than accepting God’s gift and resting in HIS goodness.
I love the part about pursuing Jesus and the goodness of Him coming naturally and that it’s not about our goodness but His.
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This is so common! I’m struggling with waiting on God in my current season of life and I often wonder if part of the reason God still has me waiting is so when it comes, I’ll be rejoiceful through it ALL. It’s so easy to overlook God’s goodness in small areas of our lives. ♥️
I agree!!
I often mind myself saying to myself “I don’t want to do this” I don’t want to be kind, I don’t want to help, I don’t want to study for my Real Estate tests because I am doing it in my own strength and not God’s. It makes so much sense when you put in those words. Thank you God for your strength especially when I don’t want to do things your way and always being there no matter what. ❤️
I love you so very much God! I love you so so much!! I don’t deserve your forgiveness or grace but and beyond thankful for it!♥️
Beautiful
this really made me thank God for the job he gave me, after i begged for one! but every time they call me to work i complain about the job, and i don’t think about how i asked for the job and he supplied one! his goodness overflows!
Amen, you are so right. Thank God for his goodness and mercy!
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This one felt very personal thank you
This is so amazing! We need to understand that we are never good enough only God is. Also beauty isn’t everything, it’s on the inside that counts. Great message to tackle common challenges for young women.
Hi everyone. I love these studies :)
I’m newer here. Does anyone know the credentials of the co founders? Are they ministers?
They are not as far as I’m aware but the content person I believe has a christian education and they consult pastors regularly as well
Amen.
So good Scarlet gives me a better perspective.
Love this! God is good!
❤️ this @Dorothy!!
God’s goodness is not simply based on how many prayers He answers or how many promises He keeps. He is good because of his glory and willingness to forgive us and save us! He is good because of who He is not only what He can do for me. #convicted
Amen. Let us be radiant with joy because of the Lord’s goodness. So blessed and thankful to read all the comments and wisdom shared. Thank you Tina and Churchmouse, and so many other ladies for your faithfulness in daily ministering the Word through your comments.
Each one of these is coming at the perfect time for me ❤️
So after reading Ephesians 5:14 where it “get up sleeper, and rise up from the dead,” it reminded me of the song “Wake Up Sleeper” by Austin French.
Also when Scarlet wrote, ” I didn’t understand that the goodness I was to be pursuing was the goodness of God, fruit of the Holy Spirit, not the “goodness” of Scarlet.” I could see me putting my name in in place of hers.
Goodness of God is wonderful and underserving thing. Christ died so that all of us that believe could have this goodness and mercy of the One and Only God. I am thankful for this and to live in a country where I can worship as I please. Have a blessed day SRT sisters.
God is SO good.
Jeremiah 31:14 my people will be satisfied with my goodness. This is the Lord’s declaration. Oh to be satisfied with only the Lord’s goodness! Only God can turn our mourning into joy and bring happiness out of grief. Oh dear Lord please turn me towards your joy and goodness every single day.
I love that joy comes out of goodness…not my goodness but God’s. In this difficult season struggling with depression, it’s comforting to know that the joy I thought I’d lost is still there. Not because it’s a joy of my own making but because of God’s goodness. Because He is good and compassionate to those who seek refuge in Him. I don’t know how I would get through this without Him. I also love that when Moses asked to see God’s glory, God showed him His goodness. God’s glory is His goodness…His mercy, sacrificial love, abundant grace and compassion. He is good because He is true and honorable and pure and lovely and just and commendable and not just morally excellent but perfect and holy and certainly praiseworthy! Dwell on Him!
Tina and all you wonderfully made ‘She Reads Truth’ Sisters in Christ thank you for your beautiful comments! I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes thanking Jesus for the blessings He bestows upon us, His goodness, grace and mercy every day! Come Lord Jesus.! Amen!
I love that song so much and Evidence by Josh Baldwin. “I see the evidence of your goodness all over my life”.
God is good. We are broken. Loved this Scarlet. Thank you.
This reminded me of the movie that most of us probably have seen. The phrase: God is good all the time. And all the time God is good. I have found that no matter what comes my way, I need to always fix my eyes on Jesus because if I look to the left or to the right I’m going to get sidetracked and sometimes I do. But my eyes always come back to my Jesus because HE is good all the time!
I have had the privilege to do some mission trips to help at an orphanage in Kenya. One of the things I love is the daily worship before breakfast. After singing and prayers, the director who is known as Mama- says to the kids “ God is good- and then she pauses so they can answer “ All the times”. Then she says “ All the times” – and the kids answer “ God is good!” We would chuckle a little at the word “times”, but that is how I say it now, as I love the meaning. Imagine hearing a joyful and loud voice saying to you this morning “ God is good , all the times! and all the times, God is good! Maybe find a place to shout it in praise this morning. This is great truth for us. Loved reading all of your comments today as always.
God is good. That’s the secret of life. God is SO very good that He needed a place to put all His good, so He created everything good. The sun, moon and stars, the planets; all of nature; all animals known (and unknown) to mankind; all peoples were created by God in order to have a place to put all His goodness. But God (thanks, Tina!), in creating us as human, also created us as sinners in need of saving. God is so very good, so very filled with love, grace, blessings, peace, kindness, everything good, that He created us as sinners so HE could continue to shower US with forgiveness, love, grace, peace. We are an endless repository for God’s immense and endless goodness, not because we deserve it, but because (back to top) God is good.
Blessings to all, my SRT sisters!
Amen
“Beauty, goodness, and joy pour out of us when, and only when, we are enraptured by and grateful for the goodness of the Lord.” Oh, how I needed these words this morning! The Lord’s goodness extends so much further beyond our circumstances! Lindsay C, your comments about seeing your daughter choose to continue worrying rather than trusting you as a reflections of us choosing to worry rather than trust God resonated so deeply with me! I feel that when my kids still choose to fear or worry rather than know Mommy is with them…how much more do I give in to my own anxieties rather than trust His steadfast goodness?! This morning, I am actively choosing to lay down my worry, and to rest in His promised goodness. He has never let me down yet….why do I allow myself to believe He’d start now? Thank you, Lord, for Your goodness!
The joy of the lord is our strength . It is his goodness that we turn our eyes to. Look and see the lord is good. Our heart should be set on Him every morning. Set your heart in things above, God is so good because when we set our eyes and heart on Him we can follow Him and He has good things set before us to do and be blessed. But when we look below at the worries and start to doubt then we are like Peter getting out of the boat we begin to sink below the waters of our troubles. But His mercies are new every morning, so let us arise and seek His face and the things of this world will grow strangely done in the light of His glories and grace.
Exactly, to know that is not in what we do, it’s how good He is and has been with us. That really ministered to me.
Bianca, I love the analogy of our goodness being a teacup while God’s is an ocean. What a great reminder. He is the source of goodness.
This morning my daughter expressed worry about getting a Thanksgiving craft completed in time. I attempted to reassure her that we still have plenty of time to do it, yet she chose to continue down the path of worry instead of believing and trusting me.
In that moment, I saw myself with God. How often am I battling anxiety, and choosing to continue in it, instead of resting in the truth and goodness of God? He is a good Father, giver of good gifts, but I have to lay down my fears, my sense of control, and my unbelief so I can receive all the goodness He has to offer. May it be so.
Thank you for the song, Melody. His goodness is running after us!!
I wish there was a like button to hit for comments… y’all all always have amazing, insight full things to say!
It’s so true! How many times do I think my goodness is enough? If I am kind and giving and altruistic and a good listener and … the list goes on, then I am a good person right? Well I am always falling over the truth – no. It’s not enough. It has to come from God. My goodness and joy that I give to the world when it is at its best, oozes from my relationship with God.
Maybe we can think about it in thinking of our cup being full. If our cup is full from our relationship with God – time in the word, time spent in prayer and in listening, moments of true devotion and attention to the Spirit, then without even trying we give out and pour to others. Does this mean I can go and be a terrible person and just expect it to happen? No. But I know that I find when I am in the Spirit, His presence will go with me and give me rest (Exodus 33:14) and the terrible (or even perfectly human) person clause seems to be canceled out automatically.
God doesn’t need me to be good for Him. He needs me to focus on all of the things He brings me – truth, nobility, righteousness, purity, loveliness, excellence (Phil 4:8) – and in this way my focus is taken from the world around me and my interactions with the world naturally become filled with peace.
It is better to SNUGGLE (close to the Lord – thanks CHURCHMOUSE!) than to STRUGGLE in our vain attempts at goodness. What an encouraging study and the comments, too! Thanks SRT and commenters!
What stood out for me today was Jer 31:14 and being satisfied with God’s goodness. KJV says And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness (I love that!), and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness. NIV I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty. NLT my people will feast on my good gifts. Thank you Tina, for the image of us at a table together! I imagine us laughing, praying and feasting on His goodness. Wow.
I must confess that there are times I strive, plod, and struggle to be “good” rather than resting and being filled with His abundant love. Thank you, Scarlet, for the reminder that the fruit of the Spirit is a gift bestowed, not a path forged. It is His goodness to reach for, not mine.
Thank you all for helping me mature, though hairs are already grey!
Bethel Music’s “Goodness of God” – does this for me. Listening to it, brings back such great memories of how faithful God is, and His goodness. So thankful for His goodness!! :)
Amen!
Goodness – we can be people marked by his fruit
Scarlet this is so good! And Tina, too! This study has been so convicting for me. It has made me really look at what I do and why I do it. Am I cultivating the fruit of the spirit or cultivating my own interests? Truth be told, it is far too often the latter. But what hope we have in Jesus who makes all things new and who gave us the Spirit to help us grow in Him. Blessings SRT sisters.
Thank you so much Jo
I love the challenge to remember the ways God has been good to me – especially in 2020 we could all benefit from the reminder. I’ll give a few examples in my own life: the Lord blessed me with the ability to complete my first clinical placement in Ecuador from January-March. Once I came home due to COVID, I spent more time with my sister than I had in 5 years. We went on daily bike rides together, our relationship flourished. In the unknown of where and when for my second clinical placement, the Lord blessed me with an amazing rehabilitation hospital in Philly – the city I love so much. During quarantine, I reconnected with my high school best friend who I hadn’t seen in 4 years – and now I’ve seen her a handful of times this year alone! I will declare the Lord’s goodness over my day and my life: THE LORD IS GOOD TO ME! <3 Be blessed sisters!
that’s so beautiful. I’m always overwhelmed by fact that no matter how hard I try to be good, my own goodness is like a teacup compared to his never-ending ocean of love and goodness for us.
blessings from Brazil
What a joy to read the words of Scarlet and Tina early this morning! I say “Amen!”
Time and again through this covid season I have been drawn to reflect on, and hold fast to, the goodness of God. Try as I might to be “a good girl,” I always fall short. But when I take my eyes off me and focus on God, I’m overwhelmed with His goodness and grace. It’s the abiding in Him that allows any goodness to flow through me. Let us all snuggle close to the Lord. He is near and He is good.
I loved that first part, moses saying to God, if I’m going to find favour in your sight then I need to see you so I know what you think is good. I resonated loads with that. If I want to please my heavenly father as worship for all he has done for me then I need to see him to know what he is pleased by. Thank the Lord for his character revealed in scripture!
Yes, Scarlet, you absolutely hit the nail on the head for me.!
Having gone to a school run by nuns, the fear of punishment, wrath of God etc, was uppermost on my mind in all I did! Doing right, being helpful, making sure I was good seemed to be the way forward towards my making it to heaven…one day!
But God..
Praise the Lord.., that I grew up, that my eyes were opened to the greatest love of all, at a time in my life when it would make no sense at all!
My younger self would have told you, I was a good person… and perhaps I was, but here’s the deal, here’s the thing, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being good..there isn’t..
But when God.. is in the mix, when the Spirit leads… the goodness within is pure, ( unconceited, unprovoking, and does not envy the other) and is given, done, made in love..
Goodness is a gift, a Fruit of the transforming Spirit we have been given by God, that guides, directs and helps us to become more Christ like.. we, for sure, can not do it in our own strength..
Goodness is an action, a Fruit of the Spirit. It is ‘a doing’ in love, and not to be mistaken for ‘doing good’ to be virtuous.
So very thankful for the Spirit that God has put in me through my union with Jesus. I am not perfect, But God is! I don’t always do right, or get it right. But God..does! I am a work in progress, and until my dying day, I will be that, But God has given me a helper to guide and direct my ways, actions, all I am.. Forever thankful. Thank you Lord God, Thank you..
Amen.
Praying the Goodness of God, over each of you beautiful women. Thanking God for you and all you bring to this wonderful table that goes by the name She Reads Truth. I am blessed. Thank you!❤