Let me start by acknowledging that life is often very difficult. There is no person, who escapes the journey of life in the present world unscathed. We will all suffer at some level. Many theologians have wrestled with and attempted to shed light on the problem of evil and why a good God, who is also all powerful, allows evil, injustice to coexist with his grace, his mercy, and his justice.
I do not intend to rehash the arguments here, nor defend the fact of God’s goodness as a primary, defining attribute of his character. As you read this, you come to the table either believing God is good or believing he is not, and only the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the life of a human being can ever lead one to profess that God is truly good.
The Language of Belief
Belief is an unwavering conviction about the truth of a proposition. Faith, on the other hand, is a sure trust and confidence that God is who he says he is and will do what he says he will do. While Christian faith does entail hope for the future, it is not a blind hope; rather, it is a hope founded upon the evidence of God’s activity in the past and present, and particularly on the work of Christ. As such, belief is tied inextricably to faith.
If you are one who believes at some level that God is, in fact, good, then allow me a few words of challenge and encouragement. What we believe to be true about God should always match our language about God; and what we say about God should always reflect our true belief.
With this in mind, let me share with you some statements about God which reflect the deeply held belief of Christians throughout the history of the Church.
God is Good
- Not because he does good things ( although he does), but because “goodness” is essential to his character. In fact, the concepts of good and evil are only understood by their relationship to God. That which is good is consistent with God’s revealed character. That which is evil is opposed to God’s character.
- When life is good and when life is hard.
- When I am experiencing joy and when I am experiencing sorrow.
- When I am loved and when I am heartbroken.
- When I am supported and when I am lonely.
- When I am healthy and when I am sick or injured.
- When I am safe and when I am in danger.
- When I am blessed with abundance to share with others, and when I am struggling financially.
- When I am thankful and when I am not.
- When I can see the plans God has for me and when I cannot see past the present moment.
- When I live in such a way that I give faithful testimony to the good news of Jesus and when I do not.
- When justice prevails in the present and when it does not.
All the Time
God is always good. I want to be abundantly clear about this. There is no time or place or situation in which God is not good.
Real belief in God’s goodness cannot rest upon our present experience, which is so fleeting; it must be grounded upon faith that God is who he says he is, and that he will always do what he says he will do.
A faith confirmed as valid and well-placed by the work of Christ on the cross.
At some point, each of us will be tested by life’s circumstances to stand by what we believe to be true about God. Whether by a sudden life threatening illness, a job loss, the death of a loved one, or a tragedy of some sort.
It is easy to say that God is good when things are going as we plan. But what about when life gets tough? Does your belief in God’s goodness waver, leaving you with words empty of conviction and confidence?
Or, when you speak about God’s goodness, does it flow from a deep well of trust that God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good?