One look at the news can make anyone wonder if there is any good on this earth. It’s like they sensationalize all the drama and chaos of the world to boost their viewers or subscribers. Listening to those reports can be exhausting and draining.
Yet there is abundant goodness in the world if we look close enough. And where does that goodness come from? It comes from God. “Every good and perfect gift is from above,” the apostle James stated, “coming down from the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows” (James 1:17). Remember how Jesus said that if we, being evil, know how to give our children good gifts, then our Heavenly Father knows infinitely better how to give good gifts to us (see Matthew 7:11).
Goodness comes from above because God is good. In Psalms it says, “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (Psalm 145:9). Goodness is an inherent part of God's eternal character. Knowing his boundless goodness allows our faith to flourish and gives us hope that he desires our eternal happiness. As we strive to develop faith in God and grow closer to him, understanding his perfect goodness is essential.
The scriptures are filled with proclamations of God's goodness and mercy. Moses experienced this firsthand when God declared "I will make all my goodness pass before thee" (Exodus 33:19). When he passed by Moses, he proclaimed his name, which included "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (Exodus 34:6). You see, God's very name reflects his goodness.
Comprehending God's attribute of goodness is vital if we want to exercise the faith needed for us to be saved. If we didn't believe God was good and merciful, we could never fully trust him or his promises. Instead, we would doubt God. But because we know through prophets that God is the embodiment of benevolence, and is abundant in goodness, we can confide completely in him.
We, as humans, tend to seek our own passions and desires instead of God’s will. Yet, despite our sinful nature and continuous rebellion against God, he demonstrated his profound love and goodness to us by providing a way for us to reconcile with him. What a beautiful gift!
In Romans 5:8, the apostle Paul writes, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God's goodness is not based on our merit or worthiness, but on his unconditional love and mercy. He sent Jesus, who was perfect and sinless, to take upon himself the punishment that we deserved for our sins. "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18).
By trusting in God's perfect goodness, we unlock a wellspring of faith that fortifies our commitment to him. His merciful character reassures us that he constantly acts in our best interest. And as we strive to acquire a fulness of his attributes, we are empowered to become true disciples and embodiments of the pure goodness that defines our loving Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
However, the Bible also provides reassurance that God is with us in our suffering and that he can use it for good purposes. God does not abandon us in our pain but walks alongside us, offering His comforting presence. Sometimes we may wonder why we suffer, yet our suffering can serve to strengthen our faith and character.
I would never have understood divorce, betrayal, pain, suffering, depression, rejection, shunning, and poverty had I not gone through it myself. The last three years of my life have been some of the most difficult, and there have been times when I called out to the heavens, “Why!?!” And sometimes there was silence as a response, and I continued in my grief.
On other occasions, there was peace that came like a warm feeling in my heart that washed over me. It did not remove my suffering, but it did remind me that God was still there. I know that my suffering is temporary, though difficult to bear. But as I remember God’s goodness and mercy toward me, I gain the courage to continue my fight. I lean upon the Savior’s promise that he will take up my yoke and make my burden light
God is good. That is an understatement, of course. God is way more than good. He is the personification of goodness. He inspires me to become good, like him. I realize that none of us can become as good as God, but we can do our best.
As we emulate Christ's goodness through service, kindness, patience, and charity toward others, we are rooted and grounded in love. We more fully comprehend and become like our infinitely good Heavenly Parents. We receive the promise "that when he shall appear, we shall be like him" (1 John 3:2), because we have done what he would do.
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