Fruit of the Spirit - Goodness

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)
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.

Romans 15:14 (New International Version)
I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

Ephesians 5:8-10 (New International Version)
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

You ever been shopping for something and they have three versions of it...good, better, best? We have been programmed to think that something good is just average, not great but just OK.

As a fruit of the Spirit, that is certainly not what God intended in his version of Goodness. Kindness and goodness actually have many similarities and overlap as fruit of the Spirit. However, goodness can have a kind of starkness to it.

A person can be good without kindness, but kindness seems to always come with goodness. This is probably why kindness comes first in the list of fruit. Kindness is more about attitude or spirit. Goodness is more about action or service.

Acts 10:37-38 (New International Version)
You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Most of the time, doing good will be something we do with kindness led by God's Spirit, that touches the need of another person. It could be something as simple as holding a door in the right context, choosing to do the right thing even when no one is looking, sitting and talking with someone who doesn't get talked to much, sharing what we have, or forgiving someone not necessarily deserving of forgiveness. Goodness is an action spurred on by kindness in the Spirit by something deep within us that God placed there through Jesus Christ.

Sometimes it can be hard to do good because many people reject goodness. People are often too independent and like to do things themselves and can reject acts of goodness on our part. They don't trust in goodness and push back from receiving it. However, if the Spirit is leading us to do good, then something good will come of it whether or not we see the result first hand.

Goodness is also about engaging in the battle with evil we face every day in our world. It is anything that brings light into the darkness of this world. Giving someone hope when they are in the depths of darkness and despair.

Romans 12:21 (New International Version)
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Genesis 1:4 (New International Version)
God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.

So, how can we grow and nurture the fruit of goodness?

1. We can ask God to increase our compassion.

1 Corinthians 13:2-3 (New International Version)
2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

2. Re-arrange your world so goodness is more prevalent than evil.

Romans 12:9 (New International Version)
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

3. Remind yourself every day as a Christ Follower you are filled with goodness.

Romans 15:14 (New International Version)
I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

4. Ask God to help change your priorities so goodness will grow.

Matthew 6:33 (New International Version)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

5. Look for opportunities to do good.

1 Timothy 6:18-19 (New International Version)
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

The bottom line is, when we do good, true, rich, spirit filled good things, we will enjoy a life that is truly living. When our life is about someone else, bringing light to darkness and overcoming evil, we will be given abundance beyond measure. When we let spirit filled goodness overflow from our lives we will get a taste of real life and quite possibly a taste of heaven on earth. By helping win the battle over evil we will one day live in a place where evil is gone completely.

So, let's all fight the good fight!!

Prayer:
Father, I thank You for the chance to learn from Your word, thank You for Your incredible goodness toward us, thank You for allowing us to be children of God. I pray that none of us will leave the same and that there will be opportunities for us to live out Spirit filled goodness and bring light to darkness. Thank you for filling us with your Spirit and allowing us to grow in your fruit and become closer to you. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.