The worship song entitled “Good, Good Father” (by Anthony Brown and Pat Barrett) reminds us that God is a good, good Father. That’s who He is. The goodness of God is a largely interesting and encouraging truth to meditate upon. This life, this world is filled with His goodness. That man is fallen and our world is broken do not contradict the truth that God is good. On the contrary, it further supports that we are upheld by the goodness of God.
Moral Rightness
What does it mean to be “good”? To qualify as good, the person or thing has to be morally right (or righteous). God fits the description. He is righteous and His judgment of rightness is consistent and unchanging. What is right will always be right. What is wrong will always be wrong. There is no swaying Him, there is no bribing Him. God cannot be good nor loving without being right. God cannot be all about love and none about judging wrong and falsehood. True love is right love. A love that is not founded on rightness is not real love. If you love someone, you don’t want anything wrong happening to them and you don’t want that person to be tangled in wrong affairs because you know the hurt and danger that may befall them if they persist in treading the wrong path. And God is that very same way with us.
The Devil has worked hard to blur the line that separates right from wrong. From generation to generation, the territory has been shrinking on the side of right while the side of wrong has been gaining ground. Rightness has become subjective. If it works for you, if that’s what you prefer, then it must be right. In the homes, children are growing up confused about what’s right and wrong because of parents who inconsistently uphold the measure of rightness. At times, discipline is severe; at other times, misbehavior and wrongdoing are overlooked. Sometimes, parents can be hard on children but lax on themselves. Sometimes, the parents do the very things they forbid their children from doing.
More than ever, we need to look to God for guidance. We need the Word of God to teach us what is indeed right and what is indeed wrong. We need to open the pages and allow God to correct our thoughts and emotions. In reading and applying God’s Word, we can truly learn to live and do right. God’s Word helps us see the issues we must strongly contend for. God’s Word also helps us discern matters that need understanding and freedom or liberty. Through the Bible, God teaches us what we need to be strict about and what we need to be forgiving and patient about.
Benefiting
What else does it mean to be “good”? To qualify as good, the person or thing has to bear a benefit (or advantage) to another. To be good for you, something or someone must actually be beneficial for you, helping better your life and personhood. God is exactly like that. He is good and He fills our lives with good things.
Psalm 103 says that He loads us with benefits. The favors He bestows on a daily basis are too numerous to count. But it’s good to try to keep tabs for encouragement and assurance. Try to at least count up to 10 blessings you receive from God each day and you will be more positive and joyful in life.
Romans 8:28 says God is constantly working out the details of our lives for our utmost good. In staying intimate with Him, we find guidance for daily living and decision making. God is a great influence, He will help us think and do right. He will also bring us to the right people we ought to surround ourselves with. He will position us in places that will better our character and state of living.
