GOODNESS

Happy July, Fellow Wait-er! It’s a new month, and for all of you faithfully following (thank you so much!), we are moving our focus here and on Instagram for the month of July to the next Fruit of the Spirit: goodness. (Also, make sure you’re following @findingeverydayfruit on Instagram!)

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Introducing: GOODNESS

As a reminder, this verse from Galatians 5:22-23 is the cornerstone of our journey in Finding Everyday Fruit.

Gal 5:22-23 NLT “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

We've journeyed through more than half of the Fruit of the Spirit list, a significant milestone that calls for a bit of reflection, lest we forget.

Love - the root of all the fruit. Without love we have nothing.

Joy - the deep undercurrent in our lives that is not short lived like happiness, but sustaining, even through trials.

Peace - the fruit that often makes the least amount of sense in times of trouble. It’s tied directly to the presence of God in our lives and experiencing Him in our circumstances.

Patience - the way we respond when pressed. What is inside is what comes out.

Kindness is the outworking of love in our actions. Different from being “nice,” kindness is doing or saying the hard thing from a position of love.

And now, Goodness.

Goodness is an inner disposition. It’s not simply the opposite of “bad” behavior; instead, it is qualities of character or conduct that reflect purposeful choices in morality, purity, excellence, and righteousness. It’s who we are.

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Psalm 145:5-7 NJKV “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.”

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Last month, we reflected on God’s kindness and how his kindness can not only lead us to repent or change the way we’re living but also show us how to live out a life of love.

However, not only is God kind, He is good. These two fruits are sometimes referred to as the ‘twin fruits’ because they often reflect one another. Kindness is love lived out and seen in how you treat others. Goodness, on the other hand, is a disposition of who you are. And when we’re talking bout God and his goodness, He is so good, that no one can experience the fullness of the goodness of God without being changed. In the Bible, this looks like God having to shield Moses from his goodness so that he did not die.

Yes. He’s that good.

(See Exodus 33 - it’s an incredible story).

So, when we explore the fruit of the Spirit of goodness and put it into action this month, ask yourself: In my character and conduct, am I choosing purposefully to be more like Jesus in my decision-making and mirroring Him in morality, purity, excellence, and righteousness? That is goodness.

Waiting here with you…finding fruit,

-TLB