07/10
Redefining the
Goodness of God
Written by a True North Family Member
The goodness of God is a statement that gets thrown out way too often. How many times do we hear “God is good because of this” or “God is good because of that”. This inaccurate depiction of the goodness of God can be quite damaging when facing the reality of a loss, so let’s take a closer look. Often when we look at the story found in Matthew 12:22-33 with Peter walking on the water, we view this story through the lens of faith or lack of faith. Today, let’s look at this through the lens of the goodness of God. After Peter had his moment of doubt, what happened? Jesus got into the boat with him and the other disciples. You see the goodness of God was not the fact that Jesus calmed the storm, the goodness
of God was that He got into the boat with Peter and stayed close to him, despite Peter’s faith.
The goodness of God is not dependent on getting something from Him, but it is the pure proximity to Him. God is not good because a baby makes it earthside, God is good because simply He is. It’s His nature, it’s His character, it’s Him.
John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”. When we equate the goodness of God to receiving a blessing, we are missing the point.
So what then is the goodness of God? The goodness of God is when He meets us in our pain and in our grief. It’s when He meets us on the bathroom floor as we cry out in pain and desperation. It’s when we’re in the doctor’s office when we’re waiting for our miracle, and there’s that silence that every mother knows when bad news is about to be shared. You see the goodness of God isn’t the amazing loan that a baby is, the goodness of God is the way God walks with us each and everyday. It’s when He meets us and gives us strength to get off of that bathroom floor. It’s when He meets us and gives us the strength to walk out of the doctor’s office and into our car. It’s when we have to reimagine what our lives will look like after this news of loss.
When we accurately depict the goodness of God, it’s not as triggering to hear the phrase, God is good. Because after all, we cannot deny His goodness when we can look back and see how He gently walked with us through every part of our loss. So sweet friend, let’s take a moment to pray and ask that God would redefine our idea of goodness and how we view God. We know this new revelation will bring true freedom. Because where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).
of God was that He got into the boat with Peter and stayed close to him, despite Peter’s faith.
The goodness of God is not dependent on getting something from Him, but it is the pure proximity to Him. God is not good because a baby makes it earthside, God is good because simply He is. It’s His nature, it’s His character, it’s Him.
John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”. When we equate the goodness of God to receiving a blessing, we are missing the point.
So what then is the goodness of God? The goodness of God is when He meets us in our pain and in our grief. It’s when He meets us on the bathroom floor as we cry out in pain and desperation. It’s when we’re in the doctor’s office when we’re waiting for our miracle, and there’s that silence that every mother knows when bad news is about to be shared. You see the goodness of God isn’t the amazing loan that a baby is, the goodness of God is the way God walks with us each and everyday. It’s when He meets us and gives us strength to get off of that bathroom floor. It’s when He meets us and gives us the strength to walk out of the doctor’s office and into our car. It’s when we have to reimagine what our lives will look like after this news of loss.
When we accurately depict the goodness of God, it’s not as triggering to hear the phrase, God is good. Because after all, we cannot deny His goodness when we can look back and see how He gently walked with us through every part of our loss. So sweet friend, let’s take a moment to pray and ask that God would redefine our idea of goodness and how we view God. We know this new revelation will bring true freedom. Because where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).
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Part II Nicolette's Story.