Psalm 31:19–20
"How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men!
"How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men!
The thing I can't walk away from is that the Bible doesn't just say that God does good things. It says that God IS good. It's not just what he does; it's who he is — and who he is never changes. In Psalm 46, the psalmist says, “God is our refuge and strength, a present help in times of trouble. Notice it doesn't say He will be.
“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” ~Henry David Thoreau
We are all born sinners but we don't have to stay there. We can become a new creature in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV)
When I met Jesus, I decided to shift my perspective and see what my life would be like if I stopped beating myself up over “not being good enough” and accepted who I was--who the Bible tells me I am.
I made a decision that I am good and committed to testing this theory out. And it worked!
I also began wondering what the world would look like if we all had an opportunity to accept, embrace, and live out the goodness of God in us. Can we all get there? The answer is a resounding yes! And here are some steps to do it.
1. Choose goodness.Make a decision that you are only good when you are in Christ. In and of ourselves no one is good. Good is an attribute of God--God is good. Get God by repenting and asking Him into your heart; then daily commit your life to Him. This sounds hard, especially if you spent most of your life feeing bad and that God is mad at you. Start by saying several times out loud, “God is good." Therefore, because of Jesus and what He did for me, I am good. God lives in me through the Holy Spirit."
The voice inside your head may disagree, but remember, the voice you hear is not you it is the devil if it disagrees with the word of God. The being that hears the voice is you. So, quiet the voice by asking, “Why not?” Then, play a movie of your life and see if you can find a single example of the goodness of God, where God stepped in and saved you or spared you? Remind yourself that Jesus justified you. So now it is (just-as-if=justified) that you never sinned. You are forgiven.
Even if your emotions don’t agree, use your spirit man not intellect, and then practice this exercise daily. Your emotions will catch up. Just like with building muscles, it takes time, but this exercise does work. Start renewing your mind to what God says about you.
2. Understand goodness.Being good does not mean we won’t make mistakes. I make plenty, all the time. Being good means that we understand God wants to bring good things into our life, and that He is love, and He loves us. We are to love others as we love ourselves. With self-love, anything is possible. Love never fails.
If you have a hard time with this, think of your younger, innocent self. Does that being deserve love? Or, think about yourself through the lens of someone who loves you. Why would they love you so?
3. Practice, practice, practice.Deciding that you are good is hard, but acting on that awareness is even harder. Commit to practice your goodness every single day. Catch yourself when you think negatively about yourself. Make a plan to get yourself out of unhealthy relationships or break bad habits. Treat yourself well, and demand that others do the same. Start each day off with talking, listening and reading the Word of God. Then keep going by drinking water and exercising, and renewing your mind to what God is teaching you.
4. Develop rituals.Take the time to journal, meditate, read inspirational books, pray, paint, volunteer, recite poetry, run, bike, bake, or regularly engage in any activity that will remind you and reinforce your goodness. Do something for others. Love loudly.
5. Set up reminders.Soon after I gave my life to Jesus I started wearing WWJD bracelets. Then, someone purchased me the earrings. I got a Bible with my name on it. I started a reading through the Bible in a year. I had set times to spend with God. I would see it at least twice a day and be reminded of my newfound truth. Even on those extraordinarily busy days when you miss your rituals, these small reminders will keep you on track. Now, I wake up and do three things before my feet hit the floor, I talk to God, I listen for God and I read His word. He is my firsts of every day.
6. Talk to people.Tell people about the concept of the goodness of God. They will reaffirm its truth, or you will change their life too. In either case, the right people will support you in your quest for the goodness of God. Live a God filled day in front of others. Talk about how good He is.
7. Live boldly.Give generously, love unconditionally, laugh loudly, and communicate openly. Whatever you do, give it your all. Living in such a way will reinforce your goodness.
The paradox is that you cannot really live fully unless you believe God is good and through His strength you can be good too. If you don’t believe in your fundamental goodness, you will constantly question your decisions, your worthiness, the quality of your contribution, and other people too. You are also likely to live with a lot of anxiety, which will consume you from time to time. By actually doing more of giving, loving, laughing, communicating, and so on, you will be reinforcing your own goodness and growing your belief in God's goodness toward you and others.
8. Dream big and dare greatly.When we focus on our struggles, we lose sight of the truly important things in life. On the other hand, when we dream big and dare greatly, we have no choice but to trust God's goodness as we find ways to achieve our dreams and take risks. The soon to be King David knew his God was bigger than the Goliath he was facing.
Now, keep in mind that taking risks and daring greatly does not mean we pursue things that might gain us approval of others; it means we seek out those things that matter the most to us according to the Word of God.
A lot of traditionally successful people are miserable and full of self-loathing. On the other hand, a lot of obscure people are fully content and accomplished. Dreaming big means we dream our own dreams, not those imposed by the society, our family, or someone else.
9. Stop questioning and get busy.I love asking a “why” questions. But don’t ask a “why” that is harmful; ask a “why” that is helpful. Don’t ask, “Why would I be good?” Ask, “Why wouldn’t I be?” And if you can’t stop questioning, make a decision and move on. Stop revisiting it.
We’ve been conditioned to doubt ourselves. Doubt something else, but not your goodness purchased through the Blood of Jesus.
10. Be mindful.People often ask “How are you?” without waiting for a reply. Regardless, I love responding: “I am good!” It’s not so much for their benefit as it is for my own. The more I repeat it, the more I believe in it.
Additionally, how I respond to this question is a good indicator of how I feel that day. My response gives me a chance to catch myself. If I say, “I’m okay” or “Not too bad,” that’s a sign something isn’t quite right and I need to evaluate what’s really happening.
--
Once upon a time, a Native American elder was telling his grandson a story of two wolves that live in each one of us and wage a daily struggle for dominance in our lives.
One wolf is filled with love, joy, hope, peace, gratitude, optimism, generosity, understanding, humility, kindness, truth, faith, and compassion. The other is a reflection of bitterness, envy, anger, sorrow, guilt, greed, arrogance, self-pity, inferiority, lies, ego, selfishness, and judgment.
Their struggle is constant, their determination to win unwavering.
“So, which wolf wins?” asked the grandson.
The grandfather responded, “The one you feed.”
We all have a choice to accept the goodness of God and therefore our ability to live good and nurture that truth every day. We can all embrace the best within us and choose joy over sadness. Which wolf will you feed today?
We are all born sinners but we don't have to stay there. We can become a new creature in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV)
When I met Jesus, I decided to shift my perspective and see what my life would be like if I stopped beating myself up over “not being good enough” and accepted who I was--who the Bible tells me I am.
I made a decision that I am good and committed to testing this theory out. And it worked!
I also began wondering what the world would look like if we all had an opportunity to accept, embrace, and live out the goodness of God in us. Can we all get there? The answer is a resounding yes! And here are some steps to do it.
1. Choose goodness.Make a decision that you are only good when you are in Christ. In and of ourselves no one is good. Good is an attribute of God--God is good. Get God by repenting and asking Him into your heart; then daily commit your life to Him. This sounds hard, especially if you spent most of your life feeing bad and that God is mad at you. Start by saying several times out loud, “God is good." Therefore, because of Jesus and what He did for me, I am good. God lives in me through the Holy Spirit."
The voice inside your head may disagree, but remember, the voice you hear is not you it is the devil if it disagrees with the word of God. The being that hears the voice is you. So, quiet the voice by asking, “Why not?” Then, play a movie of your life and see if you can find a single example of the goodness of God, where God stepped in and saved you or spared you? Remind yourself that Jesus justified you. So now it is (just-as-if=justified) that you never sinned. You are forgiven.
Even if your emotions don’t agree, use your spirit man not intellect, and then practice this exercise daily. Your emotions will catch up. Just like with building muscles, it takes time, but this exercise does work. Start renewing your mind to what God says about you.
2. Understand goodness.Being good does not mean we won’t make mistakes. I make plenty, all the time. Being good means that we understand God wants to bring good things into our life, and that He is love, and He loves us. We are to love others as we love ourselves. With self-love, anything is possible. Love never fails.
If you have a hard time with this, think of your younger, innocent self. Does that being deserve love? Or, think about yourself through the lens of someone who loves you. Why would they love you so?
3. Practice, practice, practice.Deciding that you are good is hard, but acting on that awareness is even harder. Commit to practice your goodness every single day. Catch yourself when you think negatively about yourself. Make a plan to get yourself out of unhealthy relationships or break bad habits. Treat yourself well, and demand that others do the same. Start each day off with talking, listening and reading the Word of God. Then keep going by drinking water and exercising, and renewing your mind to what God is teaching you.
4. Develop rituals.Take the time to journal, meditate, read inspirational books, pray, paint, volunteer, recite poetry, run, bike, bake, or regularly engage in any activity that will remind you and reinforce your goodness. Do something for others. Love loudly.
5. Set up reminders.Soon after I gave my life to Jesus I started wearing WWJD bracelets. Then, someone purchased me the earrings. I got a Bible with my name on it. I started a reading through the Bible in a year. I had set times to spend with God. I would see it at least twice a day and be reminded of my newfound truth. Even on those extraordinarily busy days when you miss your rituals, these small reminders will keep you on track. Now, I wake up and do three things before my feet hit the floor, I talk to God, I listen for God and I read His word. He is my firsts of every day.
6. Talk to people.Tell people about the concept of the goodness of God. They will reaffirm its truth, or you will change their life too. In either case, the right people will support you in your quest for the goodness of God. Live a God filled day in front of others. Talk about how good He is.
7. Live boldly.Give generously, love unconditionally, laugh loudly, and communicate openly. Whatever you do, give it your all. Living in such a way will reinforce your goodness.
The paradox is that you cannot really live fully unless you believe God is good and through His strength you can be good too. If you don’t believe in your fundamental goodness, you will constantly question your decisions, your worthiness, the quality of your contribution, and other people too. You are also likely to live with a lot of anxiety, which will consume you from time to time. By actually doing more of giving, loving, laughing, communicating, and so on, you will be reinforcing your own goodness and growing your belief in God's goodness toward you and others.
8. Dream big and dare greatly.When we focus on our struggles, we lose sight of the truly important things in life. On the other hand, when we dream big and dare greatly, we have no choice but to trust God's goodness as we find ways to achieve our dreams and take risks. The soon to be King David knew his God was bigger than the Goliath he was facing.
Now, keep in mind that taking risks and daring greatly does not mean we pursue things that might gain us approval of others; it means we seek out those things that matter the most to us according to the Word of God.
A lot of traditionally successful people are miserable and full of self-loathing. On the other hand, a lot of obscure people are fully content and accomplished. Dreaming big means we dream our own dreams, not those imposed by the society, our family, or someone else.
9. Stop questioning and get busy.I love asking a “why” questions. But don’t ask a “why” that is harmful; ask a “why” that is helpful. Don’t ask, “Why would I be good?” Ask, “Why wouldn’t I be?” And if you can’t stop questioning, make a decision and move on. Stop revisiting it.
We’ve been conditioned to doubt ourselves. Doubt something else, but not your goodness purchased through the Blood of Jesus.
10. Be mindful.People often ask “How are you?” without waiting for a reply. Regardless, I love responding: “I am good!” It’s not so much for their benefit as it is for my own. The more I repeat it, the more I believe in it.
Additionally, how I respond to this question is a good indicator of how I feel that day. My response gives me a chance to catch myself. If I say, “I’m okay” or “Not too bad,” that’s a sign something isn’t quite right and I need to evaluate what’s really happening.
--
Once upon a time, a Native American elder was telling his grandson a story of two wolves that live in each one of us and wage a daily struggle for dominance in our lives.
One wolf is filled with love, joy, hope, peace, gratitude, optimism, generosity, understanding, humility, kindness, truth, faith, and compassion. The other is a reflection of bitterness, envy, anger, sorrow, guilt, greed, arrogance, self-pity, inferiority, lies, ego, selfishness, and judgment.
Their struggle is constant, their determination to win unwavering.
“So, which wolf wins?” asked the grandson.
The grandfather responded, “The one you feed.”
We all have a choice to accept the goodness of God and therefore our ability to live good and nurture that truth every day. We can all embrace the best within us and choose joy over sadness. Which wolf will you feed today?
ACTION STEP: I wake up and talk, listen and read God first. Then, I pour myself my shake, my tea or coffee and head for my porch until it gets too cold. I open the door and check out what flowers bloomed or how my garden has grown. I look at my list of things to do I made the night before (because I am better at night). I put on some praise music and write this Blog. I would love to hear about how you are living the "Good life" because of the goodness of God.
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