We are called to be His goodness in the world, my friends.
And, oh, how the world needs it.
They may mock us in our effort to choose good at each life turn.
They may misunderstand us when our definition of goodness rubs them the wrong way.
They may mistake our goodness for superhuman altruistic efforts founded on selfish motives.
But the goodness we have to offer must flow from our broken and humbled hearts which have been bathed in grace.
It is God’s goodness which makes us “good” (or redeemed and purified). His goodness inspires us to do good so that we might pass that goodness on to others. As Jesus taught, “no one is good except God alone.” But when our good God washes us in the blood of Christ, a true sign of change in our lives is the mark of goodness more commonly observed in our words and deeds.
When we dwell continuously on the mercy and goodness that has been surrounding us all our days, what else can we do but run the race toward Heaven and shine the light of goodness along the way, in an attempt to help lead others down this same path?
Be who you are. Soak in His goodness. And be that goodness today.
Dear ones, you are the reflection of Christ’s kindness.
While I was out in public a few months ago, I saw a woman wearing a shirt that read, “Be a kind human.” It is the in vogue thing to do in our society today: to be kind instead of being mean, to be nice instead of bullying others. But her shirt also seemed to be an in-ones-face command to shape up and act right in a society where most people are becoming increasingly reactionary in a polarized and negative way.
I have heard it argued that non-Christians can be just as kind — or more kind — than Christians are. When that is genuinely true, it is a wake up call to followers of Jesus: we need to dwell more closely with Him so that our actions toward others are more consistently helpful, edifying, and kind. We need to think more humbly and joyfully of His kindness toward us so that the overflow of that impression will naturally seep from our lives in genuine kindness to others.
While non-Christians may show kindness to other people, the kindness that marks the heart of a Christian should stand apart as follows.
It will reflect the balance of both truth and grace modeled for us in Christ.
It will noticeably increase with the help of His Spirit.
It will become increasingly more natural, in His light, to show this kindness to our loved ones, strangers, and even our enemies.
Our motivation in showing kindness should also become increasingly driven by finding delight in God’s goodness.
It will, therefore, be our aim to show kindness simply for the sake of showing Christ. Not to maintain a meticulous reputation of niceness. And not to somehow build up a mound of favors we can demand from others in the future.
My dear friends in Jesus, be who you are. Let your kindness be different than that of the world, and let it be consistent.
Because you are tapped into the Source of the only true and pure kindness there is.
My fellow travelers on Christ’s pilgrimage, be patience.
After the initial three fruit of the Spirit Paul lists, patience is next. It is the first of the attributes defining love in another letter (1 Cor 13), and it is the first in a set of following listed traits which are equally well-defined by their anti-examples.
What I mean is this. A patient person is a patient person no matter what, but the true measure of their patience stands out in more apparent and brilliant contrast when we see them responding as they do right next to someone who is rudely impatient and throwing a related fit. Similarly, the very kind person is a refreshment to my soul directly after my heart has been shredded. And the deeply gentle person quietly shines beside the brash and rough person.
Patience is not a natural state of the human psyche. Some people may be more comfortable with a sanguine response to the stuff of life, but we have to learn how to be patient. Good parents, grandparents, teachers, and other role models can help with that in our formative years. Yet, in the end, it is like a musical or artistic skill. It must be continuously cultivated through practice and opportunities to perform whenever they may arise.
And in the end, looking at great examples of patience inspires us to be more patient too. In days gone by, we would often hear someone say, “So and so has the patience of a saint.” But we, as saints bound for Heaven, are all to have more and more of the patience modeled by our Jesus. We are to be His patience here on earth.
We are to be His patience as a display of controlled anger and selfish desires, for patience resides in an increasingly-content heart. We must trust that He ultimately has everything under control, so we don’t need to get worked up about it.
And we are to be His patience as a display of mercy. In another New Testament letter, Peter talked about how the Lord is not slow in expressing His just wrath and delaying his second coming. Rather, He is patient and merciful, giving those who yet live a little more time to repent and turn to Him. Therefore, we should also be patient in our love for others and our ongoing prayer for them, that they may seek and know Christ and grow in His light.
For He was, and still is, patient with us. And when we really remember that fact, it will often drain the bluster of our impatience.
Dear ones in Christ, be who you are. Be His patience. The world desperately needs it.
(Photo credit above: page from a speech manuscript, penned by George Washington, displayed at the NY Public Library.)
