“Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.” Job 22:21
One of the hardest things to determine in this life should be one of the easiest. What is truly good for you? Sugary sweetness is good to the tongue but over time can extend the holes in one’s belt. The flavors of a good ol’ Texas chicken fried steak is oh so good to taste, but if enjoyed too much, the arteries may well disagree with its goodness. And yes, especially in the spiritual realm, the desires of our sinful flesh gives us a long list of what is seemingly good for us, yet none of them are truly good. Good is indeed tough to determine as we attempt to discern what is good for our own lives. But what about the good we receive from God? What happens when the good that God is giving you doesn’t match the good you want?
The verbal sparring match continues in Job chapter 22 as Eliphaz speaks for the last time in the book. His evaluation reaches crescendo as he accuses Job of not even knowing God. And in a line that still confuses the world, he ushers this line, simply get right with God and all the good will come. But in his eloquent monologue, Eliphaz fails to define the good which he speaks of. You see, that is what a Christian’s life really centers around. Finding and discerning the true good of God. Job finds himself sitting in a dump, void of all possessions and family, and fighting for his next inhale. No one on this planet would say that this is good from God. Yet simply flip back and read chapters 1 and 2 of Job before flipping forward and reading chapter 42 to see what was truly the good of God in Job’s life. The good of God can be extremely difficult to perceive at times but one truth rings, you cannot compare your own perception of good with the perfect good of God.
Nick Vujicic was born with no limbs. Something that I think no one would claim was good from God. In fact, most would consider it just the opposite, seeing it as somehow a curse from God. Yet in spite of having no arms or legs, Nick has become a world-renowned evangelist, traveling the world to tell others how Jesus Christ changed his world and how he sees the good of God. In a quote from Nick, he expresses his point as well as words can be composed, “I was never crippled until I lost hope.” Hope arises from faith. And faith in Jesus Christ is the most powerful tool of the follower of Christ. You see, God has not misapplied the good in your life. God has not skipped over you and given your good to others as Nick had initially seen his missing arms and legs. The problem is in letting your definition of God’s good collide with your own. For that comparative collision breaks down our perception of perfect Godly good. Maybe a certain level of money, material goods, or power is the good you desire? If you don’t have it today, it’s not the good God has planned for you. Maybe a certain job doing a certain thing for a certain salary hasn’t materialized in the good way you wanted…then it’s simply not the good God has planned for you. You see, your faith in Jesus Christ will radically alter your view of what good is. Your faith in Christ will allow you to shed your ideas of good and instead exchange it for His idea of good. And within this exchange process, it will free you to live the abundant life that He has for you. A life spent worshiping, serving, and being sanctified daily by His Holy Spirit. And folks, that is a good life indeed.
“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:8-9
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