By 
I don’t want to live the good life anymore!
Have a good day. Goodness gracious! It is a strange word—good—used often in everyday vernacular but frowned upon in serious writing. How many of you were told in English class not to use good because it was too passive, not descriptive enough? Use your adjectives! There are forty-two definitions for the adjective form of good in the dictionary, from agreeable to genuine to fertile, depending on how it is being used. So, how are we using the word? This is the catch, and a very important one at that.
As parents, how many times have we asked our children to “be good”? If we are honest, hundreds. It is our desire to raise good kids, to be good parents, to be good stewards, good spouses, good Americans, good Christians. Is good just “not bad”, or is it more? Is it respectable, moral, virtuous?
I know “to be good” was, and to some extent still is, my desire for me and my family. I am the sixth child of seven children, and I was brought up to become a good, law-abiding, contributing citizen of society. My husband John and I want this for our two grown daughters as well.
The goal of goodness seems an honorable one; but it is a trap because we cannot achieve it. We can’t even come close. What I seem to manage is something external that looks good for a while, but needs fussing to keep up since it does not originate in my soul. Jesus spoke to this goal: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27, ESV).
When God made us at creation, He called us “very good”; but of course that was before the Fall. We live in a far different world from that “good” creation. I don’t believe God wants us to try to get back to that, to being very good. I do not think that is what Scripture is telling us.
The story of the rich young ruler is in all three of the synoptic gospels. In Mark and Luke the young man addresses Jesus as “Good Teacher”, to which Jesus replies: “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19, ESV). He may have just been trying to flatter Jesus, and Jesus was having none of it—accepting no praise and giving all honor to the Father. He is also giving us a great lesson on goodness: it belongs to the Father, it is given to us by the Father. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6, ESV).
So Jesus points us to the goodness of the Father, and it is the Father who gave us Jesus to complete His good work in us. It is by His grace alone that we will one day stand before God’s goodness. Hallelujah! C.S. Lewis put it this way in The Great Divorce: “There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him.”
In Matthew’s version of the rich young ruler, he asks Jesus, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16, ESV). I tend to be like this young ruler, thinking my good deeds amount to something—that they somehow counterbalance my slip-ups, and the right ones help me get to heaven: church on Sunday, check in the offering plate, serve on a ministry team, held my patience with an annoying neighbor, etc. However, Jesus’ reply is still similar to the other two gospels: “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good” (Matthew 19:17, ESV). Whether we are trying to be good or act good, the answer from our Lord is still the same—goodness exists in God alone.
So, what is the point? Scripture tells us Jesus loved the young man who was asking Him about eternal life. Jesus knew he was struggling and had compassion on him; Jesus has compassion on us. He showed that in His great love for us, by the shedding of His blood so we might have a chance to meet face-to-face with God’s glorious goodness!
I know it is only by God’s grace that I can live up to my calling as a wife, mother, friend, and follower of Christ. Instead of striving each day to be good, I give thanks each day for being grace-filled. By His grace I can learn His will for me, experience His peace, and enjoy His good pleasure. And really, we don’t want our kids to be good either; we want them to live by the grace of God, for the love of God, led by the Word of God. That’s living the grace-filled life!
Elizabeth Murphy
Elizabeth Murphy has been following Christ since she was 17. Although this road has not always been straight, she has seen God’s hand in every detour. She is blessed with and by her husband, John, and growing family. As an educator, she has been able to feed her insatiable desire to learn every day and share learning with others. Elizabeth became a student of Womenary in 2016. From the Bible to theology to cozy mysteries, She is always absorbed in reading. This still leaves time for enjoying travel with her husband, walking, old movies, and time with extended family and friends. Elizabeth loves to walk alongside fellow Christ-chasers—learning and laughing through life.
