WOW!! Have you ever tried to define a common word like good?
The dictionary is always a good (oh brother) starting point however in defining the spiritual, we need a little more.
Words like desirable, pleasing, beneficial, fulfilling principles, functioning, performed well … all are nested under the word “good” in the dictionary.
For our purposes … considering we are defining a fruit of the Holy Spirit … it would seem that GOODNESS would be what is desirable or pleasing to God. So as we walk and live with Jesus, the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of goodness in our lives so that we are doing more and more of what is pleasing and desirable to God. We are fulfilling principles He set down and performing well as His family.
Let’s not complicate things.
This is a simple fruit with abundant opportunities to nourish and bless the world if … we … just … keep … it … simple!!!!
The same fruit complication that has existed since Genesis still exists today. Eve ate the fruit (please stop blaming the apple – it says fruit!) because of what it could do for her. Genesis 3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.”
Disobedience is never pleasing to God. If something looks good to us … the first question is: how does it look to God? The fruit looked good to Eve … but God had already said no. Eve isn’t alone – many things are now debated in our society that God has already said no to, however, the argument is made – this is really a “good” thing.
Goodness as a fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives leads to what is desirable and pleasing to God in an ever-increasing measure, filling up our days and blessing the world.
GOODNESS – a simple, abundant, and God-pleasing fruit.