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.
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!