Are You Being Good?

As a mother of three, I have said numerous times, “Y’all be good!” or “Be a good girl!” or “Be a good boy!” One day, as I said one of these statements, I was struck with the thought, “What does it mean to be good?” Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines the word “good” as, “complete or sufficiently perfect in its kind; having the physical qualities best adapted to its design and use.” Therefore, being good means fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. Throughout the first chapter of the Bible, we find the statement, …and God saw that it was good. God looked over all the things He had created each day and noticed that they were fulfilling the purpose for which He created them. Then, in Genesis 1:31 after He created man, the Bible says, And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

In the last chapter of Genesis, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers who had done him evil many years prior. They were fearful that Joseph would take revenge on them for the evil they had done. However, Joseph said in verses 19-20, …Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good,… Joseph had no intention of seeking revenge on his brothers because he understood that everything that happened in his life was meant for his good and to fulfill the purpose for which God had created him.

This leads us to probably the most famous verse in the Bible on this subject. Romans 8:28 states, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. This verse is not saying that everything that happens to us in our lives will be good. Instead, everything that happens in our lives works together for our good to fulfill the purpose God has for our lives. I can testify to the fact that the trials, storms, and battles I have faced in my life have not been enjoyable, but when I have surrendered them to the Lord’s will, He made them all work together to fulfill God’s intended purpose for my life.

I enjoy using acrostics to help me learn and apply things to my life, so as I was doing a word study on the word “good,” I came up with the following acrostic to help me to be “good.”

G – Give God first place.

Matthew 6:33, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. The first way we can be good is realizing Who we are serving with our lives. He is the One Who created us; therefore, we should give Him first place in our lives in order to fulfill His will for us.

O – Obey your authority.

Hebrews 13:17, Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. We must place ourselves under the authority that God has given us. As a child, my authorities were my parents, my school teachers, and my pastor. Now, my authority is husband, and after that would be my pastor and my employer. Our ultimate authority is God’s Word, but we are instructed in God’s Word to follow our leaders and submit to them as they follow Christ.

O – Overcome temptation.

I Corinthians 10:13 says, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. One way the devil tempts us is by making us think that the unpleasant things that happen to us are our fault. He tries to beat us up and make us feel worthless in the work of God when we are enduring a trial. We must learn to overcome this temptation by continuing to serve the Lord, even through hard circumstances. God will not give us more than we can bear.

D – Deny yourself.

In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, …If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. One way that we can be good is to realize that what happens to us is not just for our benefit. Others are watching us and how we react to hard times. We must deny our selfishness and allow God to use our lives for His good and His glory.

Being “good” is not just for our good but for others. Let us determine that no matter what God allows in our lives to be good. Our testimony may be exactly what another Christian who is struggling needs to see to keep moving forward for Christ.

by Erin Montgomery

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