Galatians 5:22, 23:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
This past week during Awakening, the band played a song about God’s goodness. “I’ll sing because you are good. I’ll dance because you are good. I’ll shout because you are good. You are good, good to me.” We use such strong emotions to convey that we understand and realize that God is good. When a family member gets sick, we don’t get the promotion, a relationship fails, or fill in the blank, do we still believe that God is good?
Goodness is defined as “moral excellence; virtue; kindness; generosity”. It’s one thing to sing about it, it’s another to actually believe it for our lives. I believe that knowing God is good comes with trusting him. We have to understand, regardless of the circumstance, God is good. His character backs that up. So, why do we (myself included) have a hard time trusting him? Sometimes, I have a hard time with that. (I’m about to get real deep, real quick. Braces yourselves.) There are sometimes where I feel God doesn’t show up in my life. I feel like I pray for X, Y, or Z to occur and it just doesn’t happen. Been there? In those instances, do I truly believe that God is good? Sometimes, yes, and sometimes, no. In my flesh, I feel like I can plan my life better than God can and that’s not true, is it? This is one of the many reasons I’m thankful that God is God and I am not. God has his own plan for our lives. He can see the bigger picture. He knows what will be best for our lives. His answer may be one we don’t like or understand, but that doesn’t change his character.
As I’ve taken the time to study God and his being, I’m in a place where I trust him and I know that my God is good. Now, I’m not saying I’ll never doubt or question his goodness; it’s a part of being human. But, I know he’s good because I’ve seen him bring healing, provide, bless and love me and those around me. So, why is it difficult for me to believe he’s good sometimes? Truthfully, I don’t have a complete answer. I know who Jesus is. I know that he gave his life on the cross for me as an atonement for my sins and that’s enough of a reason for me to trust him. Personally, when there’s a lack of control and I don’t fully see how a certain situation will work out, it’s hard to fully trust. I’ve been there. Friends, there is nothing more freeing than to completely surrender and abandon ourselves to the only person who can completely fill us; and that’s our Lord and Savior. I encourage you, friends, to really dive into the relationship you have with your Heavenly Father and truly begin to thank him for his goodness (along with all the other qualities). Once we begin to spend more time with him, the more we can begin to comprehend that his goodness is real. We can begin to see that he is someone who keeps his word and wants the very best for our lives. He has your world in the palm of his hands. I’m praying that you’ll be able to encounter God in a tangible way this week. Be encouraged!
Author: Nicole Presley