God speaks through the simple things, and when we pause to listen, we are blessed,.
I have a boyhood memory of a trip with my parents and sister. The car broke down and a man stopped to help us. With the problem resolved, my dad wanted to reimburse him for his assistance, but the man refused, wished us well and quickly left in his car. Dad followed him, to catch him and insist he take the cash, but he disappeared in the city traffic.
I’ve wondered if this man was an angel. Probably, he was a good person who thought of the needs of others, and wanted to help, while not asking for any recognition or reimbursement.
This is how I remember the 1950’s, from the eye of a small boy. Most people were good to each other, and goodness was highly valued and respected.
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “There are two things that men should never weary of, goodness and humility; we get none too much of them in this rough world among cold, proud people” (Kidnapped, 1886.)
The Bible tells us all good things come from God.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, ESV.)
At the time this childhood memory occurred, people might have referred to a person likethis man who stopped to help as a “good egg,” which meant honest, generous, trustworthy, kind and self-sacrificing. Rudyard Kipling used the expression in Traffics and Discoveries, in 1904.
All of these “good egg” traits come from an uprightness of heart and life. The Bible says goodness is one of the characteristics, the beneficial results, of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB.)
Sometimes goodness and kindness are thought of as similar. I think of a kind person as friendly, generous and considerate, with a healthy dose of compassion. Goodness includes an emphasis on virtue, doing the right thing, even if it means sacrificing for another when no one is watching. Where kindness steps softly, goodness marches with boots on. I believe both emanate from a person’s heart.
Marching reminds me of another idiom about virtuous and trustworthy people. They’re called the “salt of the earth.” This expression comes from Jesus, and the Sermon on the Mount.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people” (Matthew 5:13, NASB.)
Roman soldiers sometimes were paid in salt, because of its value as a preservative. The Latin word for salt is sal, from which we get the English word salary. This idiom is used to describe virtuous people, with basic fundamental goodness. When Jesus used these words, he was speaking to common folk who were fishermen, farmers, and laborers.
I often see displays on social media or in the news, reports of people who are honored for a generous effort or heroic act, with no thought on their part to be recognized. Yet, there are those who attempt to curry favor with the public through a public display of benevolence or other act, and they make sure there’s a photo-op. Jesus said such acts do not benefit the doer.
“And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God’” (Luke 16:15, NKJV.)
When I watch the news, my heart aches. I see good people ridiculed, maligned, harassed, attacked and cancelled. People in leadership ignore laws, align with and promote those who do the attacking, and push aside sound advice, and make decisions based on popularity, rather than what is right and good.
I believe there are people who value goodness, virtue, and doing what’s right, because the Spirit indwells every believer.
In Luke 18:18-19, we are told, “Once a Jewish religious leader asked him this question: ‘Good sir, what shall I do to get to heaven?’ ‘Do you realize what you are saying when you call me good?’ Jesus asked him. ‘Only God is truly good, and no one else’” (TLB.)
When I fail to boldly speak for what is true and right and good by God’s Word, or help someone in need, I doubt the depth of my faith.
Recently, my pastor quoted Paul Tillich, “Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.”
The Holy Spirit indwells believers and works to remake our hearts, to remold us into Christlikeness. No, we are not complete, but we are loved by our Savior nonetheless. When our faith feels insecure, we need to trust Him. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want our hands, He wants our hearts. When our hearts are His, all else will follow in a way that glorifies Him.
“But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared [in human form as the Man, Jesus Christ], He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:4-5, AMP.)
We are the “apple of His eye.” This phrase comes from several verses in the Bible.
The psalmist said, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 17:8, ESV.)
The “apple” refers to the pupil of the eye. Perhaps you’ve seen your reflection in the pupil of another? God has His loving eyes on us, and we need to trust that He will use us, His children, for His kingdom. But we must be willing, humble and ready to sacrifice so others might be brought into God’s family. Our world is in desperate need of good people who will step forward.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.” That’s what our part comes down to: willingness to say, “send me.”
That’s something I need to work on, to choose to listen to the urging of the Holy Spirit, and put aside reluctance and fear. Our Lord and Savior pointed the way.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:17, ESV.)
Selah.