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Jamie Johnson
December 1, 2010

What is Good?

Did you ever wonder where the concept of good came from? Why don't people consider bad things good or good things bad? Granted there are some rare circumstances where this does occur, but for the most part, there is a universal umbrella under which good things fall. Did someone just make up goodness? These were questions I pondered recently and recalled where I wrote about this very subject in my journal entry from May 15, 2004, entitled "God, Ever Present, Ever Good." The rest of this article is that journal entry with some editing:

LORD, at times the pondering questions come from others or myself. One child asked, "Where did God come from?" But I know that You didn't come from anywhere; YOU ARE! How old are you? You're eternal -- age doesn't apply. You sit outside of the constraints of time. Ancient Egypt and today You see all at once and beyond. Well, how about the idea of "good"?

People may wonder where GOOD came from, about how it's defined and how it's understood. Well, GOOD is from God. Jesus said that YOU are the Only One Who does good (Matthew 19:17, Mark 10:18). So, only You are what is good. Who am I or anyone to question how You've defined and presented it? Further, what You do is good; it promotes further goodness such as life, joy, peace, love, gentleness, patience, kindness and self-control.

Yet, some may ask how such things became under the umbrella of "good." Well, they didn't become good; they are good. Further, I consider the results of the Fruit of the Spirit -- some of the aforementioned good things. People have positive emotions about others, who they are, there is community, less stress and less psychosomatic symptoms as opposed to the increased stress and increased psychiatric and psychosomatic issues that accompany negative things such as impatience, joylessness, despair and hatred. Ultimately such negative things lead to death -- emotional, perhaps physical, even spiritual.

So, the idea of good, how You have set it up and made it understood is reliable, valid, and well...GOOD. GOD, YOU ARE SO GOOD! You make plain to pondering minds the Truth by the Counsel of Your Spirit. Thank You for Your Truth. May we trust.

Your Pondering Servant,
Jamie


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