Often when elaborating on a happening, we label it as good. However, no experience or event can truly fill us completely, and that is because we were made to find hope and assurance in the ultimate good, that of Jesus Christ.

By pursuing this goodness we are pursuing the very heart of God’s character. It must be our lens through which we see the world. However, because of sin, there is a constant battle of things that tend to taint the view of the goodness of God. Whether we focus on our anxieties, doubts, or fears, if the goodness of God is not our solid foundation, we will see the world through the eyes of self instead of our savior.

Theologian J. I. Packer says God’s “sovereign redemptive love is one facet of the quality that Scripture calls God’s goodness.”According to Packer, the height of God’s love was shown in Christ’s death on the cross in both his grace and love by saving sinners who deserved condemnation. Despite the sin and brokenness in the world, we know that God is good because he says he is and he’s shown it by the sacrifice of his son on bloody beams the day Christ won the victory over our sins.

The goodness of God is not based on circumstances or our emotions; it resides in the character of our heavenly father. It resides in the safety and assurance of his ultimate will, despite our limited earthly understanding. That grasp of his firm love that can never let us go should, in turn, cause this goodness to overflow within us, and that is why Paul labels it a “Fruit of the Spirit.”

Jesus says, “In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do. Live so that they will praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

The light of Christ is not a boast, it is a testimony: of the cross, of his love, and of his continual redemption. This lens of God’s goodness makes us view the hard things a bit differently. The struggles and letdowns in life seen through God’s goodness mold us to love him. This redemptive work should in turn fill our hearts with the goodness of God he has shown us, and in turn, fill our homes, relationships, workspaces, and minds.

There is perfect freedom and joy in Christ when we realize his work is being done within us. It should always overflow because we can’t help but share what God is doing in us.

That striving won’t be perfect because we are broken. Resting and reflecting the goodness of God is a lifelong process, but the same God who equips us is standing here with us. He has given us the gift of his spirit, and he promises to never forsake his sheep.