Goodness

As I was reading my devotions this morning I was struck by a common theme: the goodness of God. If you knew a lot of the stuff going on around me you would know that this particular theme is a little ironic, yet fitting.  Sometimes it is hard to see God's goodness. Sometimes we look at ourselves or the world around us and go, "Really, God? Are you really good? Then why did [fill in the blank] happen?".  Honestly, we are never going to know the answer to that question. We won't. That's the way it is.  If you know me or have read anything I've written you know that I like answers and I like to figure things out. I'm a math major for heavens sake. I solve problems.  Unfortunately, this is not one I can figure out.

However, I do know that I believe in Jesus Christ and in his promises. I believe that when he says that God is good, then it is true. I believe in the authority of the Bible in that it is the word of God (2 Tim 3:16).  Therefore, when the Bible says that God is good, I believe it. I have faith in it. Since my faith is grounded in what I know and what I see around me, I know my belief is valid. My belief is valid not because I believe it, but because God has revealed his truth to me and HE validates it. All this to say, God is good because He says He is.

Sometimes life sucks and we can't see God's goodness. I get that. I've seen plenty of bad things that I don't wish to talk about on here (feel free to confront me about them, though). But even in the midst of them and in especially in retrospect, I believe God is good and he has a plan. He is going to take care of you. Don't take my word for it, take His.


I encourage you to read this following verse and devotions that I have quoted below. Have a blessed day.


"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 

John 16:33 (NIV)


So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 
John 16:22 (NIV)

From God's Daily Promises For Students: Daily Wisdom From God's Word from the Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. March 13, 2012.

"Many people picture God as a stern and vindictive, just watching and waitin for the chance to zap humans with bolts of misfortune. But this verse shows the opposite. God loves you and wants only good things for you. He wants your future - both in this life and in heaven - to be bright and hopeful."

From Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. March 13, 2012.

"Learn to live about your circumstances.  This requires focused time with Me, the One who overcame the world. Trouble and distress are women into the very fabric of this perishing world.  Only My Life in you can empower you to face this endless flow of problems with good cheer.
As you sit quietly in My Presence, I shine Peace into your troubled mind and heart. Little by little, you are freed from earthly shackles and lifted up above your circumstances.  You gain My perspective on your life, enabling you to distinguish between what is important and what is not.  Rest in My Presence, receiving Joy that no one can take away from you."

The "If God is Good..." discussion

I was on the internet tonight and found an interesting article about the goodness of God from an atheists perspective, "if" there was one that is. (in her mind)

Read this article FIRST before reading the rest of my blog.
http://thefeministbreeder.com/this-is-no-way-to-convert-me-to-christianity/

I agree, that lady did a pretty bad job of wanting to convert her to Christianity. I get the motive, but that is an incredibly bad way to do it. It hurts me to see other Christians talk like that. Is it true? Yeah. Is it productive to use it as an argument for coming to Christ? No.

Now let's discuss what she said.

"Can you imagine if I told someone “You should really consider breastfeeding because if you don’t you will BURN IN HELL!!!” (<—-notice my tongue planted firmly in my cheek there.)"

Okay girl. Maybe I'm crazy, but breastfeeding verses other ways of feeding your child are a *little* different than God vs No God. Just a thought.

"I know that I’m a good person."

You either have the best confidence I've ever seen or the biggest head. I'm not sure which.

"Besides the fact that I have people sending me 3-5 email reminders each week telling me what a good person I am, I am a constant do-gooder.  Always have been.  Even when I was drinking and staying out all hours of the night having premarital sex with total strangers, I was still a good person."

Umm...ok. I don't get it. You say "just because I do these things doesn't mean I'm bad -- in fact I'm still good."
Going on a rabbit trail here, but so many of us think that way! "Yeah I mess up some times, but basically I'm good." Sorry, chica (or chico).  Even as Christians we try to earn our way into heaven. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.
"Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Luke 7:47
We have a much easier time understanding the weight of our sins AFTER we do something huge, but for those of us who haven't done anything "big", it's easier to say we're good people. And it's easier to point the finger at those who don't.  I could easier point the finger at this lady because she's spiritually sick. (It's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick Mark 2:17) Yes, I'm poking holes in her argument, but I'm not hating on HER, just what she's saying.  No, she does not have the same values I do because (duh) she's not a Christian. I gotta love the sinner and not judge her.  I bet we'd get along just fine. Besides, I'm a sinner too. How dare I not love and respect her?

Ok now that I've chased that rabbit trail lets move on...

" I don’t cheat or steal because I believe the universe has an energy that, when disrupted, carries negativity back to that person.  Some call that Karma.  I sometimes think of it as Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart.  Call it what you will, but that’s about as spiritual as I get."

Again, call me crazy, but I think that takes more faith than believing in God. Dictionary.com says energy is "the capacity for vigorous activity; available power".  So... the "available power" of the universe defines morality.  Last time I checked, energy doesn't reason. It's used and transferred. That doesn't even make sense.

"And to me, if there were a God, he wouldn’t be sending Good People like me to burn in hell for all of eternity just because I don’t believe in him."
Wow woman, ego!

"But I’m going to be honest with you, it’s stuff like this that makes me really scared of Religious Types.  Seriously.  I’m more terrified of a group of religious fanatics than I am a dark alley filled with gang-bangers in my old drug-infested neighborhood.  At least the gang-bangers don’t creep into my inbox telling me I’m going to burn in hell forever."

Warning to all Christians -- this is how we are perceived a lot of the time.  Don't fall into that category.  Stay close to God and speak HIS words. If it comes just from you, this could be the outcome.

Conclusion:  God is good. He made us, we screwed up, and he helped us out of the deep hole we've dug. If you're alive and breathing, you're a sinner. The reason He is so good is that he gave us 1 opportunity to get out of the eternal punishment for our sin! If that's not good, what is? We deserve hell, yet he gave us a way out.  Amazing.