Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness

Via TJC

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,” ~James 1:17 (ESV)

This week we are looking at the rest of the Fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5.

When I first thought of goodness for today’s DBO, I thought, isn't badness the opposite of goodness, and if so, if I’m not doing badness, is that goodness?

Recently I’m coming down from a very intense time, including losing my Mom after an illness and my Dad getting bone cancer. During that time I did well to avoid “badness” while keeping in priority: God, family, work, and ministry.

The word “goodness” from Galatians is agathosune, which is defined as "uprightness of heart and life." Here, agathosune (goodness) is for the benefit of others, not goodness simply for the sake of being virtuous.

When learning that what struck me was the metaphor that during military pilot training when experiencing increasing G-forces, their field of vision becomes more and more narrow (like wearing blinders) and color fades to black-and-white. When returning to the equivalent of straight and level flight, their field of vision expands and color returns.

When looking back at my own intense time, by simply avoiding badness, it was like my vision for goodness had narrowed. Now, coming down from that intensity, it is like my peripheral vision is returning and seeing more & more in color.

I see that “goodness” is God’s spirit working in me; I can’t make it happen by my own will or effort, but by yielding to God’s spirit.

Every good thing given is from above; we can’t manufacture it ourselves.

Daily Battle Order: The Fruit (of the Spirit) on our trees is to be a blessing to others; that Fruit is not intended for ourselves. 

Ask someone close to you to “sample” your fruit (“goodness”); was it a blessing for them?