Be Good for Goodness Sake
Every year at Christmas time I see the same picture come across Facebook (and the same argument ensue because of it) that basically says “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness sake!” Another variation says “Go ahead and skip church. Just be good for goodness sake!” There is usually a photo of Santa in the middle of a big ‘ol jolly laugh that goes along with it. If I am being totally honest, nothing makes me want to scream and pull my hair out more than this asinine message and the absurdity of those who feel they can actually pull this off. Just be good, huh? Let’s role play for a sec about what that might look like.
The person who just cussed out a stranger because they inconvenienced them in some small way says, “Well, maybe I got a little carried away, but at least I’m not a liar!”
The person who is a habitual liar says, “Well, maybe I do stretch the truth sometimes, but at least I’m not a gossip!”
The person who is a habitual gossiper says, “Well, maybe I talk about people too much, but at least I’m not a thief!”
The person who just stole a piece of clothing from the store says, ”Well, maybe that was dishonest, but at least I’m not a drunk!”
The person who has spent the last three days wasted says, “Well, maybe I should sober up a bit, but at least I don’t cheat on my spouse!”
The person who just cheated on their spouse says, “Well, maybe that was a mistake, but at least I didn’t murder somebody!”
And round and round it goes to infinity and beyond…
Who decides what is actually “good” behavior or not? What sort of standard are we to use to determine whether or not we are choosing correctly or screwing up? Is the entire human race supposed to just rely on our own common sense to determine what’s right and what’s wrong? I mean, it can’t be that hard because people are born basically good, right? Let’s take a closer look at the Israelite community and see how their choices played out.
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
In the verses above, Moses was addressing the Israelite community and giving them a reminder regarding the teachings of God that they had learned over and over again as they wandered through the desert during the 40 years preceding. They were finally about to take possession of the land God had promised to them when He rescued them out of slavery in Egypt. Moses was giving them one final warning regarding their conduct once they were settled in and he wasn’t mincing words. He told them to love God with everything they had and to talk about His laws and His ways all the time. He said teach these things to your children. He was so serious about this reminder that he said to write God’s words on the doorposts to their houses! Up until this time, they had been solely relying on God in the desert for all provisions of food and water and even though there were hiccups of rebellion in those years, they came through it because God had led them. This community of people were witnesses to the cloud that led them during the day and the fire that led them by night (“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.” Exodus 13:21–22). They were witnesses to God’s provision of manna every single morning so that they could gather it and make their daily bread (“Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.” Exodus 16:4). They were witnesses to God’s instructing Moses to bring forth water from a rock on multiple occasions ("I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.” Exodus 17:6). They were witnesses when Moses brought the stone tablets down the mountain with the 10 commandments chiseled onto them (“Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.” Exodus 32:15-16). And they were witnesses to and participants in defeating a brutal army of men while they themselves were tired and worn out (“So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” Exodus 17:13-14). I dare say that if any of us were witnesses to just ONE of these strange and wonderful events, we would never carry another doubt about God for the rest of our days!
However… even after Moses’ staunch warnings about continuing to follow God’s ordained law (Remember his words? "Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”) the Israelites who grew up only one or two generations removed from Moses’ time allowed the world around them to creep in… and creep in… and creep in. The very recent ancestors of these people were the very same ones who actually saw with their own eyes a moving cloud during the day and a moving fire at night... A CLOUD AND FIRE!!! These new generations of people allowed themselves to be so totally taken in by the surrounding cultures that their entire value-system shifted away from what God had instructed it to be. So, if it was that easy for the world to grab a hold of the hearts of the Israelites after all that their mothers, fathers and grandparents had seen and experienced, how much easier is it for us to be completely swept up in what the world tells us is good and right versus what God tells us is good and right? How could we ever be so arrogant as to believe that we could stare straight into the heart of this me above all, my way or the highway, live to excess world and choose differently of our own accord? It’s really just down right dumb because it ain’t gonna happen. By our very nature we are born to sin. We are born to choose ourselves over anyone else. We are born to think we are better, smarter and more deserving then everyone and in the absence of God’s guidance, we would do anything to make sure we are the ones who get ahead. So, yeah, “just be good for goodness sake” is about the most ludicrous statement I’ve ever heard.
Let’s go back to the role playing scenarios a minute. I have been told many times throughout my life that I tend to be a fairly even-keeled sort of person who is fortunately able to avoid wide emotional swings in any given situation. However, even as someone who has the ability to control those dangerous ups and downs, I can say with certainty that if I had to rely on my own feelings each day to do the “right” thing, be a “good” person and always make the “correct” choice, I wouldn’t last a week before my mental exhaustion would overcome me. One day I might wake up feeling really happy because I got a great night of sleep and my kids are acting like angels. The next day I might wake up grumpy with children who are on my last nerve. I am pretty sure my feelings on these two days would prompt me to make completely different choices. Doing the right thing, being a good person and making the correct choice would be totally dependent on my emotional state. And again, who’s to say that my choices and actions would be the same as yours? We are right back to the whole problem of humans thinking that we are able to decide these things for ourselves. There is NO consistency. People’s moral and ethical codes vary on such a wide scale that what is abhorrent to one person is just another Saturday night to another. What is completely unacceptable behavior to some is just no big deal to others. You mean you did WHAT?!? Oh yeah, it was no biggie. Okay, but what about THAT?!? What about it? Don’t be such a prude. The line is wherever you decide to place it and you’ve only crossed it once YOU feel you have. Some will feel they’ve crossed it when they accidentally take a pen home from work and some will feel they’ve crossed it once they finally land themselves in jail. How are we doing with our “just be good for goodness sake” now?
Relying on our own human feelings and emotions to guide us through life will only lead to confusion and ultimate failure. And even when it’s hard and we don’t understand the reasoning, we MUST rely on God’s instruction for daily living and conduct. And guess where we find those instructions? You got it. The bible.
Are you inclined towards anger or bitterness?
God says in Ephesians 4:31-32 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” and in James 1:19-20 “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”
Are you inclined towards un-forgiveness?
God says in Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” and in Luke 17:3-4 “So watch yourselves! If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”
Are you inclined towards worry and anxiety?
God says in Phillipians 4:6-7 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” and in Psalm 55:22 “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
Are you inclined towards envy?
God says in Proverbs 14:30 “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” and in 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
Or maybe you are inclined towards the general over-indulgence of people, places or things (our choices of food, drink, television, social media, literature, free time activities, etc.)?
God says in 1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” and in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
We are ALL inclined to something. None of us are excused from this. Every last one of us has a vice (or two or three) that left unchecked could ruin us. Let’s go ahead and ask God for knowledge in how to deal with our circumstances, but let’s also be ready when His answers don’t match up to our expectations because most likely they won’t (and for good reason because He knows exactly what we need and don’t need). And when they don’t, will you ignore Him and turn to Google to try to find your answers? Just be careful because I guarantee you will find whatever you want to that way. You will find an expert commentary on just about any vice you wish to pursue with a PowerPoint presentation on why it’s actually totally okay. I mean I do love a good Hollywood blockbuster as much as the rest of them and have my favorite actors because there’s no denying their amazing talent. But, when it comes to my world view, I think I’ll stick with the teachings of the One who has been the same from the beginning of time and who has no use for the cultural bandwagon of the day. If you take your cues from Hollywood, good luck with that. Let me know when you are completely exhausted from keeping up with their constantly changing standard and you can come join me over here just reading my bible that hasn’t changed in a couple thousand years and is still every bit as relevant today.
Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” so why not make Him the one constant in your life? Cry out to Him instead of social media when you need guidance. Read your bible faithfully and learn for yourself how His ways stack up against our ever-changing culture. When you finally become sick and tired of failing over and over again to “just be good for goodness sake” He will be there patiently waiting for you as He has been from the very beginning of time.
The person who just cussed out a stranger because they inconvenienced them in some small way says, “Well, maybe I got a little carried away, but at least I’m not a liar!”
The person who is a habitual liar says, “Well, maybe I do stretch the truth sometimes, but at least I’m not a gossip!”
The person who is a habitual gossiper says, “Well, maybe I talk about people too much, but at least I’m not a thief!”
The person who just stole a piece of clothing from the store says, ”Well, maybe that was dishonest, but at least I’m not a drunk!”
The person who has spent the last three days wasted says, “Well, maybe I should sober up a bit, but at least I don’t cheat on my spouse!”
The person who just cheated on their spouse says, “Well, maybe that was a mistake, but at least I didn’t murder somebody!”
And round and round it goes to infinity and beyond…
Who decides what is actually “good” behavior or not? What sort of standard are we to use to determine whether or not we are choosing correctly or screwing up? Is the entire human race supposed to just rely on our own common sense to determine what’s right and what’s wrong? I mean, it can’t be that hard because people are born basically good, right? Let’s take a closer look at the Israelite community and see how their choices played out.
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
In the verses above, Moses was addressing the Israelite community and giving them a reminder regarding the teachings of God that they had learned over and over again as they wandered through the desert during the 40 years preceding. They were finally about to take possession of the land God had promised to them when He rescued them out of slavery in Egypt. Moses was giving them one final warning regarding their conduct once they were settled in and he wasn’t mincing words. He told them to love God with everything they had and to talk about His laws and His ways all the time. He said teach these things to your children. He was so serious about this reminder that he said to write God’s words on the doorposts to their houses! Up until this time, they had been solely relying on God in the desert for all provisions of food and water and even though there were hiccups of rebellion in those years, they came through it because God had led them. This community of people were witnesses to the cloud that led them during the day and the fire that led them by night (“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.” Exodus 13:21–22). They were witnesses to God’s provision of manna every single morning so that they could gather it and make their daily bread (“Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.” Exodus 16:4). They were witnesses to God’s instructing Moses to bring forth water from a rock on multiple occasions ("I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.” Exodus 17:6). They were witnesses when Moses brought the stone tablets down the mountain with the 10 commandments chiseled onto them (“Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.” Exodus 32:15-16). And they were witnesses to and participants in defeating a brutal army of men while they themselves were tired and worn out (“So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” Exodus 17:13-14). I dare say that if any of us were witnesses to just ONE of these strange and wonderful events, we would never carry another doubt about God for the rest of our days!
However… even after Moses’ staunch warnings about continuing to follow God’s ordained law (Remember his words? "Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”) the Israelites who grew up only one or two generations removed from Moses’ time allowed the world around them to creep in… and creep in… and creep in. The very recent ancestors of these people were the very same ones who actually saw with their own eyes a moving cloud during the day and a moving fire at night... A CLOUD AND FIRE!!! These new generations of people allowed themselves to be so totally taken in by the surrounding cultures that their entire value-system shifted away from what God had instructed it to be. So, if it was that easy for the world to grab a hold of the hearts of the Israelites after all that their mothers, fathers and grandparents had seen and experienced, how much easier is it for us to be completely swept up in what the world tells us is good and right versus what God tells us is good and right? How could we ever be so arrogant as to believe that we could stare straight into the heart of this me above all, my way or the highway, live to excess world and choose differently of our own accord? It’s really just down right dumb because it ain’t gonna happen. By our very nature we are born to sin. We are born to choose ourselves over anyone else. We are born to think we are better, smarter and more deserving then everyone and in the absence of God’s guidance, we would do anything to make sure we are the ones who get ahead. So, yeah, “just be good for goodness sake” is about the most ludicrous statement I’ve ever heard.
Let’s go back to the role playing scenarios a minute. I have been told many times throughout my life that I tend to be a fairly even-keeled sort of person who is fortunately able to avoid wide emotional swings in any given situation. However, even as someone who has the ability to control those dangerous ups and downs, I can say with certainty that if I had to rely on my own feelings each day to do the “right” thing, be a “good” person and always make the “correct” choice, I wouldn’t last a week before my mental exhaustion would overcome me. One day I might wake up feeling really happy because I got a great night of sleep and my kids are acting like angels. The next day I might wake up grumpy with children who are on my last nerve. I am pretty sure my feelings on these two days would prompt me to make completely different choices. Doing the right thing, being a good person and making the correct choice would be totally dependent on my emotional state. And again, who’s to say that my choices and actions would be the same as yours? We are right back to the whole problem of humans thinking that we are able to decide these things for ourselves. There is NO consistency. People’s moral and ethical codes vary on such a wide scale that what is abhorrent to one person is just another Saturday night to another. What is completely unacceptable behavior to some is just no big deal to others. You mean you did WHAT?!? Oh yeah, it was no biggie. Okay, but what about THAT?!? What about it? Don’t be such a prude. The line is wherever you decide to place it and you’ve only crossed it once YOU feel you have. Some will feel they’ve crossed it when they accidentally take a pen home from work and some will feel they’ve crossed it once they finally land themselves in jail. How are we doing with our “just be good for goodness sake” now?
Relying on our own human feelings and emotions to guide us through life will only lead to confusion and ultimate failure. And even when it’s hard and we don’t understand the reasoning, we MUST rely on God’s instruction for daily living and conduct. And guess where we find those instructions? You got it. The bible.
Are you inclined towards anger or bitterness?
God says in Ephesians 4:31-32 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” and in James 1:19-20 “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”
Are you inclined towards un-forgiveness?
God says in Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” and in Luke 17:3-4 “So watch yourselves! If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”
Are you inclined towards worry and anxiety?
God says in Phillipians 4:6-7 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” and in Psalm 55:22 “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
Are you inclined towards envy?
God says in Proverbs 14:30 “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” and in 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
Or maybe you are inclined towards the general over-indulgence of people, places or things (our choices of food, drink, television, social media, literature, free time activities, etc.)?
God says in 1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” and in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
We are ALL inclined to something. None of us are excused from this. Every last one of us has a vice (or two or three) that left unchecked could ruin us. Let’s go ahead and ask God for knowledge in how to deal with our circumstances, but let’s also be ready when His answers don’t match up to our expectations because most likely they won’t (and for good reason because He knows exactly what we need and don’t need). And when they don’t, will you ignore Him and turn to Google to try to find your answers? Just be careful because I guarantee you will find whatever you want to that way. You will find an expert commentary on just about any vice you wish to pursue with a PowerPoint presentation on why it’s actually totally okay. I mean I do love a good Hollywood blockbuster as much as the rest of them and have my favorite actors because there’s no denying their amazing talent. But, when it comes to my world view, I think I’ll stick with the teachings of the One who has been the same from the beginning of time and who has no use for the cultural bandwagon of the day. If you take your cues from Hollywood, good luck with that. Let me know when you are completely exhausted from keeping up with their constantly changing standard and you can come join me over here just reading my bible that hasn’t changed in a couple thousand years and is still every bit as relevant today.
Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” so why not make Him the one constant in your life? Cry out to Him instead of social media when you need guidance. Read your bible faithfully and learn for yourself how His ways stack up against our ever-changing culture. When you finally become sick and tired of failing over and over again to “just be good for goodness sake” He will be there patiently waiting for you as He has been from the very beginning of time.
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