Choosing Goodness
God has called us to live differently — to live set apart.
In Galatians 5, we are given a picture of what a life led by the Holy Spirit looks like.
These are not personality traits. They are not things we manufacture on our own. They
are evidence of the Holy Spirit living and working inside of us.
But walking in the Spirit is not passive. It is something we choose daily as we surrender
our flesh, our emotions, and our circumstances to Christ.
Each week, we will focus on one Fruit of the Spirit and what it looks like to live it out in
our everyday lives — in our marriages, in our families, and in the world around us.
As we continue walking through the Fruit of the Spirit, this week
we focus on goodness.
Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such
things there is no law.“
Goodness goes hand in hand with kindness. I believe that as we
live with a kind and tender heart, we begin to see the goodness
that Jesus is calling us to live in and live out. It becomes evident
in our lives. Goodness is more than just being nice. It means actively working for the benefit of others — not for ourselves. Paul gives us a clear picture of what this looks like
Galatians
6:6–10:
“Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with
him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for
whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows tohis flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the
Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow
weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do
not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good
to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
I love this encouragement from Paul. Because if we are honest, it is easy to lose heart. It is easy to feel like we are pouring out, doing good, serving others — and yet not seeing the fruit of it. We can become discouraged. We can begin to think, “Why bother?” That is why we must keep an eternal perspective.
Keep doing good. Keep choosing goodness. Goodness is not just a feeling — it is an action.
It is something we choose daily. We choose it whether we see results or not. We choose it whether we feel encouraged or not. We choose it whether we believe it is making a difference or not.
In our work…
In our parenting…
In our marriages…
We continue to sow seeds of goodness.
And God gives us this promise:
“In due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
No work done for God is ever wasted. Even when we cannot see it, the Holy Spirit is working.
He is producing fruit in us and through us. So do not let discouragement cause you to grow weary or idle.Your obedience matters.
Your kindness matters.
Your goodness matters.
Keep heart, friend.
And keep choosing to do good.
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