Goodness 101

I did a funeral of a very dear friend of mine about six years ago, who was seen as an upstanding individual both in the community he lived and in his church.  In fact, on the day of the funeral several people approached me and shared a very similar attribute of my friend.  Each person stated what a "good man" he was.  I found it funny that each person who shared this sentiment was not always considered "good" themselves, and yet, they knew what the attribute of "goodness" looked like.

I ask myself, how is that?  How is it that an individual can know what goodness looks like, but cannot accomplish it in their own life?  Most people know what goodness is but when you ask them why they fail to do good things their response is usually, "I want to, but I just keep messing up."  Thus, the first semester lesson of Goodness 101, finding out what Paul meant in Romans 7 when he shared -
18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
Romans 7:18-19 (NLT)


Paul states that true goodness does not come to us naturally, but through the Holy Spirit.  We cannot even know what goodness is without God, the source of goodness.  But how do we implement goodness in our lives?  Even Paul knew how difficult it was to walk daily in goodness.  I think many of us have struggled with goodness on a daily basis because we have forgotten how to sift our actions regularly through God's goodness.  We either become complacent / lazy or egotistical, thinking in both situations that we can handle life on our own.


I believe true goodness is partly learned and partly pursued.  We learn goodness from others around us who know what living a good life is all about, but it's not pursued until we begin to sift all of our actions through the Holy Spirit and discipline our lives in such a way that Christ is revealed more and more.  This discipline never comes to an end in our lives while here on earth. 


Let me hear your thoughts on this subject.


Randy