If you know about the Enneagram, the good person is Type 1(I didn't say type A ;). She's a good girl....song Free Fallin'. Santa brings toys to good little boys and girls. We often hear, God is good....all the time. In the not so positive light...she/he is a goody two shoes.
Galatians 5:22-23 TPT But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, KINDNESS IN ACTION (or GOODNESS), a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities for they are meant to be limitless.
While this entire scripture fills my heart with what I would want others to say about me and it's hard to focus on one facet for a post, it was GOODNESS today that had the highlight and focus.
Good, goodness, goodly
Adj.
1. To be desired or approved of
2. Having qualities for a particular role
Noun
That which is morally right
Benefit to someone or something
If the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit generates these in your life, He IS all of these things.
What I love about digging a bit into word meanings is that it isn't just what we think, or what we've been taught. The lens gets focused on the actual word origin. Up above, is from the dictionary that pops up on Google. And it's pretty much how many of us use the word good.
Now, let's look up goodness, from the Scripture in Galatians.
agathosune
To do good, intrinsic goodness, especially as a personal quality, with stress on the kindly (rather than the righteous) side of goodness.
Feel free to look it up in the Strong's Concordance yourself for more good (hee hee) information, but an interesting side note is this particular word is used 4 times in the New Testament, but is not found elsewhere in the secular Greek!
In other words, it's heaven sent!
Here's a few good quotes on goodness/kindness:
Goodness is the only investment that never fails. Henry David Thoreau
Goodness is love in action. James Hamilton
Live in such a way that if people should see you they should see the goodness of God. Anonymous
Wisdom has its root in goodness. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Would you like to know a reason for God's goodness?
Romans 2:4 TPT Do the riches of his extraordinary kindness make you take him for granted and despise him? Haven’t you experienced how kind and understanding he has been to you? Don’t mistake his tolerance for acceptance. Do you realize that all the wealth of his extravagant kindness (sweetness) is meant to melt your heart and lead you into repentance? (Aramaic says-Do you now know it is the fulfillment of God to bring you blessings?)
One note....the kindness in this scripture in Romans is the word: Chrestos and means serviceable and good, well fitted, useful and benevolent. And it goes on to say...in English we have no adjective to describe this blend of kind and good at the same time!
Wanna a story?
In the last few days my parents lost their beloved cat. It was, in some ways a surprise and yet, not. It's never easy to lose a loved one. Remember the saying- it's the thought that counts?
My grandson, who is 3, found out about the loss and told his mama, "I have an idea! What if we go to Gramma Great's and Grampa John's house and we can bring them a new cat that is not sick." My daughter cried. I cried. My parents cried.
Another thought- Out of the mouths of babes.
What a tender heart. What a sensitive, kind, little guy. It wasn't taught. He just instinctively knew he wanted to make it better.
Tears again.
Goodness. It makes a difference.
Kindly Goodness,
KTWL