The Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness

 1) Goodness is Action

Goodness is the action behind kindness.  Kindness is passive, but goodness is active showing itself through acts of love toward people and meeting their needs.  The goodness of God was put into effect when he sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world.  Because he is God meant that sending his son into the world was a sacrifice for you and me.  He left his home where he was with His Father and came to earth where he was initially rejected through the Crucifixion.  Mind you he was resurrected, but he came back to life for you and me.  That was God’s kindness in action.

2) Goodness promotes Growth

Look! In 2 Peter 1:5-6 “For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises], make every effort in [exercising] your faith to develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding), and in your knowledge, self-control…

Note that in the Amplified translation of the Bible in use the words “Moral excellence” for goodness.

When your conscience witness to you and prompt you to practice moral excellence, it is the Holy Spirit at work in you do not ignore Him.  You will grow in your faith.  In these verses of 2 Peter, we find self-control again as it is in the fruit of the Spirit.

3) Goodness follows us

In Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life”

His goodness following us means that the Shepherd is pursuing his sheep with the tenacity of a hunter who is after a prey.

 As we make the Lord our Great Shepherd, his goodness will follow us wherever we go.  We must wait on him and not the other way around.  When he moves, I move and his goodness with us.  Does that mean nothing bad will happen to me…No, for that to happen you would have to leave the planet.  It simply means he will be with you through it all and that to me is spelled “comfort”.