God is good all the time

What do you do when things seem to go wrong? Most people want to stay calm and move ahead. But how does one do that? It means that you have to trust - doctors, politicians, parents, schools and more. But can we trust? Most of us have experienced that people are not to be trusted. Not that people always are evil, but people are people. We are all human - and that means that we are fallible. We make mistakes. We let people down. 

I remember well, before I was a Christian, hearing Ron Carter say from the pulpit: “Don’t put your trust in me. I will certainly let you down.” And he did. Even a man that I (still) consider to have had a deep influence on my life for the good. He was after all, just a man. But he knew something that I did not know then. He was a man who walked with God. 

Since then I have met many people who knew the same thing. I have given my life to God as well. That doesn’t mean that I, or any of these people, have become somehow perfect. What it means is that we have figured out who we can really trust. When everything else is going to let you down, the Father in heaven, with whom we walk daily, will always be there and be reliable. 

When we were traveling in the States we came across some amazing examples of people who know this very truth. A young couple pregnant with their first child were able to only greet their too-soon born child for minutes before having to say goodbye as the child died. And yet this couple spoke of the goodness of their Heavenly Father and how good He is. 

In the coming weeks we will be visiting with a sister in the church in Eindhoven to talk about her funeral. She has known for some time that she is dying. And she praises the God of all creation, singing to his glory when her voice allows it. She understands what it is about and shares this with those around her. God has given her life and eternal life. And her trust in His grace speaks of His beauty. 

At the same time, we have witnessed joy and happiness in so many around us due to this same trust in God. A laughing family of young girls blessing a couple who may have thought at one time that such a thing was not possible. Happy faces thankful for the extra years that have been granted after a cancer diagnosis. 

At the end of June we were thankful for becoming grandparents for the first time - even if it was earlier than expected. Sophia Ruby Raab was welcomed into the world. All are safe and the new family is getting used to being a family together. And God is good - all of the time. He is the One who can be trusted. He gives what we need most - strength to deal with all situations. He teaches us to put our trust where it truly belongs - in Him. 

As war rages in parts of the world, as sickness devastates bodies, as political situations seem to darken the future, we can know that there is One in whom we can put our trust. But then we must be ready to accept what He presents to us. Like the young couple who for a minute welcomed their child, like the sister who knows where she is going, like the brothers and sisters living for God in a strange land because war is ravaging theirs, we can know and live as people who trust that it will work out.

God IS good. He is good all of the time. We can only see that if we can trust Him. We can try to trust other things, but we will be disappointed. We are thankful that we have found and learned to trust God who is good all the time.  

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

To Be Holy – Doing good

It hasn’t really been that long that people can watch an uplifting video online. Now of course we not only can watch cats do all sorts of things, we are flooded with video’s that constantly warn in the title that we will need all the tissues in the world if we watch.

It’s interesting that people want to know that there is good – and they want to see it - even if they cannot settle on what ‘good’ is. Somehow we all understand that we should be ‘good’ people and we say things like, “He was a good man.” But why? Why should I be good? And what is ‘good’?

This is the very question that we should ask. If I can decide what ‘good’ is – and so may you – then ‘good’ will continue to change. It will never be the same for anyone. Even if we say that ‘society’ decides what ‘good’ is, we are basically saying that each person determines it – they just all get together about it for a little while.

But is that good? If it is, then why are people upset about what others did in the past? Why would we be upset about how people kept slaves or fought wars or conquered peoples? If those people at that time decided that these actions were ‘good’, and the idea of ‘good’ is determined by society at the time – then there’s no problem, right?

And yet we all seem to know that there IS a problem. This is because we feel that there is a standard of ‘good’. There are basic ideas which are ‘good’ and other ideas which are ‘bad’ (or evil). Of course it only bothers us when someone does something to me that I do not like.

But ‘good’ isn’t about me. That is the whole problem. I do good, because it is good – whether it is ‘good’ (beneficial) for me or not. In fact, good is more about the other than about me. It is centered in, focused on, built upon God. God says, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) When I want to know what is ‘good’, I look at Jesus’ example and teaching.

So, why worry about making sure that things are correct with my taxes, or worry about that small bit of cheating? Yes, of course I will never cheat on my wife when we get married, but if we know we are going to get married very soon, why would it be ‘not good’ (wrong) to give ourselves physically to one another now? Yes, I know that stealing is not ‘good’, but these little bits from my company – nobody will notice and it is not really stealing.

It’s not really lying. It’s not really being disobedient. It’s not really .... Holiness helps us to understand what ‘good’ is. God is holy. He is good (the very definition). I do good (or try) because He has re-made me, because I am being made holy. And the beautiful thing about this is – it really is possible!

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2