The fruit of goodness

Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

What is the fruit of goodness? I find myself usuing the word "good" often......that was a good movie, a good meal, you have been a good girl today....and so on refering to anything I can measure. But what does it mean spiritually and how do I grow this fruit in my life?

Relating to the fruit of the Spirit, the word good means what is excellent in character. It is morally sound. Goodness is perfection. Ok, growing the fruit of the Spirit in my life just stepped up a notch. How am I ever going to grow the fruit of goodness in my life? I know I do not have what it takes.....where do I begin? It does not come naturally to me. I try to be good but goonness is totally natural to God....it is His very nature.

First, I need to look at the goodness of God. Here are just a few verses.

1 Chronicles 16:34 - "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Psalm 25:7 - "Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD."

Psalm 27:13- "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."

Psalm 31:19 - "How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you."

Psalm 34:8 -10 - "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing."

Psalm 69:16 - "Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me."

Psalm 119:68 - "You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees."

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

God is good and everything He does is good. Even if it doesn't feel good at the moment....Trust Him! He has a plan and a purpose for all that goes on in our lives. In my humanness I can tend to get tripped up falling flat on my face with doubt, fear and anxiety. I can go through my day, singing His praises "God is good all the time and all the time God is good" but then something happens that isn't good.....oh no, how did God allow this to happen (because He is good and everything He does is good). How did this one slip by Him.....wasn't He watching over me? We believe God is good but our doubt causes us to question whether He is good to me.

When my life is going good and full.....everything is going my way, I am enjoying His goodness. I think, yep, life doesn't get any better than this:) At other times when life gets challenging and there are road-blocks and potholes along my journey that is when I lose my focus, take my eyes off Jesus and then doubt that he is still good to me.

So, what do I do, how do I re-focus and enjoy the goodness of God on the sunny days and the rainy days of life. Letting His presence be the peace in the midst of the storms of life.

I need to review the verses above and know that God doesn't change. He is good and everything He does is good.....all the time. God wants to grow the fruit of goodness in my life. He cares about me being good the way He is good. You see goodness, like all of the fruits, grows from the inside out. Remember when Jesus said in Matthew 23:26 - "Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." I think of goodness as something I can measure, only what can be seen but it really begins on the inside where no-one sees but me and God. One thing is for sure that the evidence of this fruit in my life will be visible on the outside as I pour out the goodness of God into the lives of everyone I touch throughout my day. Through the good times and the bad, the fruit of goodness grows us to be like God, inside and out.

Psalm 119:68 -"You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees."