What does it mean to be good? We might think it stems from feeling happy about ourselves and our lives. Some people might say that it can come from having ‘a good life’, the implication being that if we have enough money, a nice house, a good job, and are able to live comfortably, we’re more inclined to try to be a good person. Some might think that the way we feel makes a difference, so things like nice clothes, good food, a long soak in a hot bath – anything thank makes us feel and look good – can influence our level of goodness. But goodness isn’t about feeling good, looking good, or having goods. We can’t judge goodness based on our own opinions because everyone would have a different idea of what’s good and what’s bad. We need a guide, something to measure it by. And we have one in God. He is our standard for goodness. ‘The Lord is good and right; he points sinners to the right way.’ The Bible tells us that only God is good. The Amplified Bible puts it like this: ‘No one is [essentially] good [by nature] except God alone’ (Mark 10:18). That means goodness doesn’t come from what we do, what we have, or how we’re feeling. True goodness only comes from God. That means we need to stay close to Him every moment of the day, to allow Him to fill our lives and influence our thoughts, words, and actions. We need to constantly test what we’re doing against His standard for goodness to make sure they line up. We’ll never be as good as God, but with His help, we can do better each day and get ever closer to His standard for goodness.

What Now?

Have a think about the sort of things you think make someone a good person. Now see if your opinion of goodness lines up with God’s. Ask Him to help you always use Him as your standard for goodness.