Today, we are looking at the fruit of the spirit called Goodness.

Like every other trait we have looked at, it is primarily a character of God, which starts to form in us as we become His children and then grow up to become more like Him.

The Bible makes it clear that God is inherently good. That is His nature; which is why he gives rainfall and sunshine, both to the good and the evil, the just and unjust.

What does goodness mean? It means to be full of virtue, to be focused on the benefit and well-being of others, and to seek good for them. It is first a posture of the heart.

Goodness manifests in our thoughts about other people and then translates to actions towards them. Goodness should be mostly proactive; not only driven by what people do for us, but by a willingness to do good like our Father. We were created in Christ to do good works (Eph. 2:10).

Examples of good acts are words of encouragement, loving rebuke for doing wrong, financial support to someone in need or physical help to someone who is weak or disabled. It can be so varied and yet so effective. We are called to do good as we are able, especially to fellow believers (Gal. 6:10)

I’d like to quickly highlight three traits of goodness we should take note of.

1. *Impartiality*: Goodness is not what we do only to those who love us or who are good to us or who are likeable. It is something we do to all men, even to those who do evil. We overcome evil with good. (Rom. 12:21)

2. *Consistency*: Goodness is not just for when we feel like it. God calls us to be good at all times, even when we are in difficult seasons. Joseph kept doing good whether he was in the prison or in the palace

3. *Multifacetedness*: Goodness is not only being nice and kind; it is also being firm in correcting or rebuking others when they are wrong. It is telling the truth and seeking their ultimate good even if it hurts for a while.

I will round off by stating that goodness is cultivated as we grow closer to God in daily fellowship, reflecting on His goodness to us and consciously choosing to be like him in our actions towards others, including those who are not good to us. May the Lord grant grace for us to manifest His goodness that we have received to others every day. Amen.

Additional Scripture References: Psa. 27:13, 136:1, Jam. 1:17, 2 Sam. 9:1-3