Fruits of the Spirit: Goodness

Goodness

What defines goodness? An online dictionary defines goodness as : the state or quality of being good. Moral excellence; virtue. Kindly feeling; kindness; generosity . Excellence of quality: goodness of workmanship. The best part of anything; essence; strength.

Romans 12:20

If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If his is thirsty, give him a drink for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire upon his head.

Goodness

The bible distinguishes the difference between good and goodness. Goodness is one of the fruits of the Spirit. It’s one of the essential aspects a christian embodies as we follow the teachings of Christ and honor God, our almighty father. Goodness is essentially how we behave and what we do. If you haven’t read the first blog post in this series, you can read what the Fruits of the Spirit is according to Jesus Christ here.

God is Good

Do you remember the prayer: God is Good, God is Great, Let us thank Him for our food. By His hands we all are fed, Give us Lord our Daily Bread. Amen.

God is good and is good towards his people. The fact which he is good towards us, we are good to others. He wants us to live peaceably with all men as stated in Romans 12:18.

He does not want us to soil our spirit by seeking vengeance on our enemies. He loves us so much, that he will do it for us. Think back when you were a small child and someone was cruel to you, whether they bullied you, hit you, or mean. What did your father do? He sought justice for you. He fought for you. He did this because he loves you. This is why God is Good and Good is God.

Goodness in Daily Life

The inherent goodness in us is an example of a gift of the fruit of the spirit. When we see cruelty towards others, we fight and support those who cannot do so for themselves. This innate part of our spirit is so strong, there is even an organization called 7 billion Acts of Goodness. which is a movement to create a global culture of care and compassion. This organization is spread across 30 countries globally and has over 10,000 programs.

Excerpts of Goodness in the Bible

The bible has many passages on goodness covering many topics. Exhibiting goodness daily can be challenging at first, but if we’re diligent and aware before we act, it becomes easier. I find it helpful to think: What Would Jesus Do? Below are a few bible entries according to a specific subject matter.

Evil
Romans 12:21 = Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:9 = Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Psalm 34:14 = Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Gentleness / Neighbor/Faith
Galatians 6:10 = Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Gossip
Ephesians 4:19 = Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Friendship
1 Corinthians 15:33 = Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.

Emanuel Swedenborg quotes on Goodness

Emanuel Swedenborg spent twenty years exploring the Spiritual World. He was a Swedish Lutheran theologian, scientist, philosopher, revelator and mystic who inspired Swedenborgianism. You can check out some of his free books here.

“Goodness shapes our will, and truth shapes our understanding.”

“If love is not married to wisdom (or if goodness is not married to truth), it cannot accomplish anything.”

“Goodness and love mould the form into their own image, and cause the joy and beauty of love to shine forth from every part of the face.”

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