In English, good can describe all sorts of things: foods, experiences, weather, people. In the Bible, fruit-of-the-Spirit goodness is tied to the Greek word agathon, meaning inherently good, good by nature. We’ll start with Jesus’ response to the young man who called Him “Good Teacher.”
Mark 10:18 (NIV) –also Luke 18:19
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered.
“No one is good—except God alone.”
Let’s strive for agathan goodness, to be good like God.
It’s morning, Lord. You are good, and I fall short. I can be cranky, distracted, thoughtless — or worse. But truly, I want to be a good person doing good deeds. Teach me to be more aware of the people around me. Grant me insight into circumstances surrounding us. Empower me to say and do good things — to be as good to others as You are good to me.
