God Is Good

Let’s play a little word association. You know how this game goes. I say a word and you say the first word that comes to your mind. For example, if I said “apple,” you might say “sauce” or “pie.” If I said “cotton,” you might say “candy” or “shirt.”  Or how about “Hitler?” You probably thought “Nazi,” “dictator,” or “evil.”

What about when I say “God?” What word or words come to mind? I’ll give you a minute. Come back when you’ve thought of some good ones. Are you ready? Okay, tell me what you came up with. Oh, that’s right. I’m here and you’re there. Oh well, it was fun anyway.

If I had to guess, the words that probably came to your mind were “love,” “grace,” “mercy,” or “forgiving.” All those are excellent words and accurate descriptions of God, but there’s another one I’d like to focus on. It’s a word that Jesus used to describe his Father. In Mark 10:18, Jesus is involved in a conversation with someone who calls him “good teacher,” which led to this response. “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”

So there we have it in definitive terms – God is good! Is there any question about it? Apparently so, given how some people attribute some awful things to Him.

For example, there are those who believe that God is responsible for natural catastrophes, diseases, wars, famine, and other awful disasters. How many of us have heard Christians claim that the 9-11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. was God’s punishment for the wickedness of our nation? How many claimed that Hurricane Katarina was directed by God to punish New Orleans for her sins? How about the members of Westboro Baptist Church who have protested at military funerals and stated that God’s judgment was upon America because of the sin of homosexuality?

I find all of this both unfortunate and sad. Part of what makes it so unfortunate is that I used to be somewhat among those who think that way. I never went to the extreme that some believers go to, but I have in the past thought that God would judge our nation for abandoning Him and His moral laws.

Where did such thinking come from? From what I now believe to be a misunderstanding of the stories of the Old Testament. I mean, let’s face it. How many times in the Old Testament do we read about God judging a sinful nation and bringing calamity upon it? If it could happen to them, I thought, why not us?

What I and others had failed to take into account is the God that Jesus revealed. Let me just say it straight. Jesus did not show us a God who brings about disaster on others. Instead, like I’ve pointed out before, Jesus showed us a God who is merciful, compassionate, loving, forgiving, and full of grace. He’s not a God who tears down but one who builds up. He’s not a God who destroys but one who creates. He’s not a God who brings about pain but one who heals.

And that’s the sad part of it. When we attribute these awful things to God, it tends to obscure our understanding of Him as good. And once our understanding becomes obscured like that, our minds start to conceive of God as being good only to those who are good themselves (in our eyes, of course) and becomes a just God who punishes those who clearly deserve it. When it reaches that point, we’re missing Jesus’ own declaration that God is good.  

And he was not alone. Many of the Psalms contain a refrain such as, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (Psalm 106:1).” He’s not good only to those who are good, for who is good? As Jesus said, only God alone. We need to remember that we’ve all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

But as the Psalmist reminds us, God is good and his love is eternal, even to those who have sinned. And who does that include? Everyone! But that’s the good news; no one stands outside his goodness.

Another sad aspect of losing sight of God’s goodness is when we start to think that God punishes us for something we’ve done by causing us to lose a job, lose a loved one, or lose our own health. That’s not God’s way. As James reminds us, “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:16-17).” In other words, God is in the business of giving good gifts, not bad ones. So don’t be fooled into thinking that God is out to get you when terrible things are happening to you.

When we are facing difficult times, we must keep in mind that it’s not a test or a punishment from God. Sometimes bad things just happen because we live in a world that’s been tainted and corrupted by sin. But despite that, God still cares and is still working on our behalf. Never forget what Paul wrote – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).”

God will never abandon you. He is always working for your good, just as he did for Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Ruth, Peter, Paul, and countless other saints who faced some very difficult situations. And how can we be certain that he is working for our good? Because he is good!

All the terrible disasters that befall mankind should never be attributed to God. There is one, however, who revels in our demise. As Jesus explained, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).” The thief, Satan, has only one thing in mind, and it’s not our well-being. He is the one who is set on our destruction, not God. As Jesus plainly stated, God, through Jesus, came to give us life. Now that’s something to rejoice about.

God’s goodness, just like his grace, is rooted in his nature. And at the core of his nature is a beating heart of love. He’s passionate about his creation and has nothing but love for mankind. That’s why we are told, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4).” Because of his goodness, God is working to restore the broken and save the lost. That’s the essential grace of God, and he wants us to enjoy it now and for eternity. So when you think about it, there can only be one conclusion – God is good!