“Are we sure this will work?” my husband and I wondered at the idea of starting our own wedding cinematography business. Jonathan wanted to pursue a passion outside of the crazy schedule of movies, and we both wanted stability in our home while raising our (soon-to-be) children. By asking this question, our behavior revealed our hesitancy in God’s goodness and kindness.
Going from a job with obstacles we knew to a job with hardships we didn’t know would take a lot of trust in God…and we are only human. Hoping in His goodness and kindness is a cornerstone of faith, and the seasons of transition is where God’s goodness is magnified the greatest—not necessarily in the moments where the praise comes easiest. We knew that the business might not work out, but the outcome would be for His good.
Trusting God’s goodness is difficult when you are at the beginning of an unknown journey. You won’t know the outcome for a certain amount of time. And trusting God in the middle of a situation is especially difficult when you are downward spiraling and you don’t know which way is up anymore.
Hindsight is 20/20 when reflecting on what God has brought us through; the past journey becomes a great reminder that God was good: we find peace and joy in the circumstances he walks us through. And He was kind: the outcome far greater than we imagined and more thorough in providing everything we needed.
This quote from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe reminds me that the goodness of God is not necessarily what the world says is good. Susan asks Mr. Beaver about Aslan, the great lion. “Safe? [the beaver scoffs] Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But He’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Culture tries to skew our view about goodness and kindness.
Nice, always doing right, never messing up—performing for the world’s praise instead of the Father’s is what the world says is good. Sayings like “Good job!” or “Good try!” as someone completes a task showcase “good” as performance-based. If events don’t turn out the way we expect or want, culture promises that something good will come later. Good and kind are self-centered in this respect because they accomplish what we want instead of what God wants and has planned for us.
We are a foolish people, Paul states in Titus 3:3, doing everything that pleases our own flesh and passing our days with thinking we are better than everyone else. Yikes. Thanks, Paul (although he’s right…at least for me).
But.
This next sentence changes the game.
“…when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us…”
Titus 3:4-5
He saved us not because of anything we did but because God is good and kind. He paid the price, sending Jesus to die for our sins. His grace justifies us and allows us to be heirs in His kingdom. Because God has shown us goodness and kindness, we are called into His kingdom and able to share this goodness and kindness with others.
Wow, Lord. You are always so much greater than I can fathom.
Either sharpening us, sanctifying us, growing us, or walking with us, God is our good and kind Heavenly Father. God’s goodness is seen in the trials we face because they bring us closer to Him and to knowing who He is.
Once you believe that God is good, your mindset shifts to believe that everything you face with Jesus is for your good. Believing God is good won’t make you any less sad when events don’t turn out the way you think or any less angry. But at the end of those feelings, you will find solace in knowing that God has been right by your side and is fighting for you behind the scenes.
Recognizing God is good and kind is a game-changer in our faith. Whatever we face, whatever our children face, whatever makes us worry or feel overwhelmed, we can know for certain that in all of these things our God is good (Romans 8:28). And when we know that, our hearts find peace and quiet.
As I think about God’s goodness and kindness, I believe in a God who makes and keeps His promises. And as I think about the heartaches I’ve faced, I know God has been with me through them all.
Here are 10 promises to remind you of God’s goodness. Keep these promises close to your heart.
- He will be with you through every trial and blessing. (Isaiah 41:10)
2. He will fight for you when you don’t even have the strength to hold your head up. (Exodus 14:14)
3. He will love you always in every way through every thing, and He sent his son Jesus to prove that He won’t stop listening to and loving you. (Titus 3:3-7)
4. He promises that nothing will separate you from Him. No thing, no feeling, no circumstance, no person. (Romans 8:38-39)
5. He will direct your footsteps and be a lamp for your feet when the darkness surrounds your next decision. (Psalm 119:105)
6. He promises to give his wisdom freely when you ask for it. (James 1:5)
7. He will not withhold any of Himself from you. He gives you all good things in His perfect timing. (Matthew 7:11)
8. He will be your safe place and your stronghold when the wind and waves of your circumstances try to beat you down. (Nahum 1:7)
9. He will meet you with fresh mercies each and every morning to wipe your tears and laugh with you. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
10. God will be with you, for you, before you and behind you, and the fruit of His spirit will surround you always. (Joshua 1:9)
God, in his kindness and goodness, makes the best promises. And the beauty of worshipping a risen savior is that he KEEPS his promises. Always and forever.
“Will this work out?” you might find yourself asking in your current situation. If you’re basing your outcomes on what you’ve planned or on what the world says will work, then no, you can’t be sure that what you’re facing will “work out.”
But if you’re asking, “Will God be good and kind to me through whatever I face? Will He be with me and never leave my side, always working whatever I face for the good of His Kingdom?” Then, most definitely, yes. Yes, he will be kind and good and loving. You can rest assured that if you put it in front of God, He has already determined the best outcome. So, as they say, let go and give it to God. Then watch His goodness overflow.
Pray with me
Dearest Heavenly Father, you are so good to us. While we continue to sin, you love us so much that you sent Jesus for us, to save us. The world may say that kindness is giving someone a compliment or goodness is getting your own way, but I am overwhelmed at your kindness and goodness, Lord, even when I don’t get my own way. I know that you alone are good.
As I sing the song, “Good Good Father,” I am reminded of all the ways you brought me out of my despair and gave me a community on which to lean. Despite circumstances not always working out the way I think they will, you are good to give us all of you. You hold nothing back.
As I meditate on your promises, I think, how could I ever come before you and ask for anything? But you delight in my asking. You delight in knowing me and talking with me. You are so good to me, God.
Lord, as we face an unknown journey, we pray to trust your goodness no matter what happens. We pray to look only to you for everything. Thank you for walking with us through every step.
In Jesus’ good name, we pray, Amen.
