Listen to this articleLet’s turn to the word of God and discuss the Fruit of the Spirit – Goodness. This fruit is not something that can be produced by our own strength or willpower. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, as we submit ourselves to God’s will and allow Him to transform us from the inside out.
The apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Today, we focus on goodness – a virtue that is often overlooked in our society but is crucial in our walk with Christ.
Goodness is more than just being kind or doing good deeds. It is a reflection of God’s character, as we see in Exodus 34:6, “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.'” As we grow in our relationship with God, we are called to imitate His goodness and show it to those around us.
In the New Testament, we see many examples of goodness in the life of Jesus. He went about doing good, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and showing compassion to the marginalized. In Acts 10:38, it says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
We are also called to follow in the footsteps of Christ and show goodness to those around us. In Romans 12:21, it says, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” When we face adversity or mistreatment, our natural tendency may be to retaliate or seek revenge. But as followers of Christ, we are called to respond with goodness and show love to our enemies.
In the Old Testament, we see the story of Ruth, a Moabite woman who showed goodness to her mother-in-law Naomi. Despite the hardships and challenges they faced, Ruth remained loyal to Naomi and chose to follow God’s will. Through her selflessness and kindness, Ruth became a part of the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Goodness, is a reflection of God’s character and should be evident in our lives. As we seek to grow in our relationship with God, let us strive to imitate His goodness and show it to those around us. Let us remember the examples of Christ and Ruth and respond with goodness in the face of adversity. We should pray that God will work in us and produce the fruit of goodness in our lives, for His glory.