Goodness

When someone is a bully or is hateful—or just plain MEAN—don’t we want God to send fire from heaven to consume them? Or at the very least, pack them off to Siberia where they can’t touch us any more?!? I may be more tolerant if it happens to me than if it happens to someone close to me. I can become a mama bear when you hurt someone I love!

There’s a verse that won’t leave my mind—it’s been rolling around in there for days.  Romans 2:4 says,  “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” It’s God’s GOODNESS that causes people to repent. I believe most people expect God’s wrath. So what is their reaction when God moves in with goodness and kindness? It stuns them. They’re faced with a loving God who offers repentance. And they have a choice to make. 

I want to be like that, don’t you??  God tells us to “love our enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44 is pretty straightforward, isn’t it? But it’s not what our flesh wants to do…at all. It’s only by the Spirit of God that we can be good—goodness is a fruit of the Spirit. We CAN’T offer true goodness on our own. So maybe God’s goodness, by His Spirit, comes through us!

The bottom line is this: do we want people to find Jesus? Do we want to see hearts repent? Do we want lives completely changed? Families changed? Churches changed? Towns changed? Then offer God’s goodness when you’re wronged…it’s what leads to repentance.