Galatians 5:22 Goodness, a Fruit of the Spirit

Each Fruit, as described in Galatians 5: 22 and 23 describes a specific character quality that God creates in the believer through His Spirit.  They are gifts of the Holy Spirit.  The sixth gift listed in these verses is the gift of Goodness.  Goodness is the state of being good.  It is a virtue which expresses moral excellence.  It is seen in an individual as a recognizable attribute of character. Genuinely good people are kind, caring, generous, and strong in essence and conduct.  In Biblical writings, Goodness is seen as uprightness of heart and life.

Goodness is the essence of God’s nature.  Psalm 100:5 says, “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation”.  Our human nature is not instinctively good.  As a child we begin to learn how to be good.  When we receive Christ, God the Father now sees us through the filter of Christ’s righteousness and the Holy Spirit enters into our spirit giving us His gifts.  The Holy Spirit, by giving the believer the gift of Goodness, transmits God’s goodness into our human spirit.  God’s goodness and righteousness become our strength of character. 

About twenty years ago I worked with a nurse who came back into hospital nursing after working in other nursing fields for years.  I had accomplished the same transition a number of years earlier.  One day she took me aside and asked, “What is different about you?  Don’t you ever feel burnt out?”  I love nursing.  I love caring for others.  I make it a practice to work hard and live in an attitude of thanksgiving with a positive outlook.  I try to live my faith without being verbally preachy.  My sincere response to her, as I prayed for boldness, was “I love the Lord with all of my heart, all of my soul, and all of my mind”.  The way I lived, the way I treated others, and the way I practiced my profession became a witness to someone who was watching me.  I thank the Lord for the gift of faith and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in my life.  I want the Goodness of God to shine through me as He grows me in His gifts.  I want God to be glorified in my life as He teaches me, fills me, and flows through me.  I want to live in His light and in the light of His Word.