Waiting for God’s Goodness (7)

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps… 1 Peter 2.18-21

The harsh reality of goodness
The simple fact is, not everyone is as eager as Christians to see the goodness of God come to light in the land of the living.

We must get busy waiting on the Lord for His goodness, studying God’s Word and all His works to discover as much unity, holiness, harmony, order, creativity, and love as we can. Let us talk about our observations and invite others to wonder at the goodness of God, so abundant on every hand. Let us take up our calling to embrace and embody the goodness of God, following the teaching of Scripture, the example of Christ, and the lessons we glean from creation and culture. Yes, let us become examples and channels of goodness, exuding and celebrating and advancing God’s goodness on every hand, all in the power of God’s Spirit, and all for the praise of His glory.

But let us keep in mind that, frankly, that just won’t set well with some folks.

The harsh reality of goodness is that not everyone seeks or welcomes goodness, at least, not the goodness of the Lord. They have their own ideas about what’s good for them, and God’s view of goodness does not always line up with what they’re seeking. Confronted with God’s goodness, many people will snort, harrumph, mock, or even become angry. They may turn argumentative or belittle what they will regard as our naiveté. They may even ridicule our silly ideas about right and wrong, beauty, goodness, and truth. Laugh in our faces. Cut us out of the conversation or deny us a place at the table. And maybe even worse.

For let us never forget that, when eternal and unblemished Goodness walked among us, He provoked those who despise the goodness of the Lord to nail Him to a cross. Our pursuit, embrace, enjoyment, celebration, and sharing of God’s goodness may elicit similar forms of harshness, grief, suffering, and wrong to us as well. 

Nevertheless…
But the prospect of suffering for the goodness of God must not deter us. Those around us may threaten, intimidate, or shun us for our commitment to the goodness of God, but we must continue waiting on and doing what is good. Peter instructed those who served among unbelieving masters to be good, do good, and speak what is good, even if they were beaten for it. Such would be “commendable before God,” because we are called to this (v. 21), to do good and seek the goodness of God, even if it means suffering humiliation, scorn, injustice, rejection, or bodily harm.

For while goodness comes with many blessings, it also comes at a price. This is why we find David, in Psalm 27, entering the presence of the Lord to meditate on His beauty and be renewed in His goodness. David was not a perfect man, by a longshot. But he did many good things, and in many ways, he sought the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

But this did not mean he never had enemies, or troubles, or unforeseen difficulties that threatened his peace and security. He did, so it’s no wonder we find him waiting on the Lord for His goodness and coming to the Lord to behold His beauty and goodness in prayer. 

As we also seek the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, knowing that this could put us at cross purposes with people we know and see each day, we must focus on and rest in the goodness of God Himself, or we will not be able to persevere.

How desperate are we?
David said he nearly despaired because he did not see as much of God’s goodness as he would have liked. Nearly, but not. Instead, he went to the Lord, lingered in His presence, meditating on His beauty and basking in the radiance of His goodness. Thus the goodness of God was infused into his soul, so that he could do nothing other than to wait upon and seek God’s goodness by every available means.

So must we. The goodness of God is very good indeed, and very much needed in our sad and goodness-deprived world. And though we may be opposed or dismissed in our pursuit and celebration of God’s goodness, if we can abide in the presence of the Lord, soaking up His goodness from all available sources, we will be changed; we will become good people who wait patiently for the goodness of the Lord, never despairing, never giving up, and never backing down.

And what powerful, wonderful, far-ranging, and good effects might such a commitment have in these days when the goodness of God is not high on the world’s agenda?

For reflection
1.  Why would some people not like to be made aware of the goodness of the Lord?

2.  How should we respond when people make it clear they’re not interested in the goodness of the Lord?

3.  How are you taking up the calling to wait on the goodness of the Lord?

Next steps – Conversation: What should we expect if Christians fail in their calling to wait on the goodness of the Lord? Talk with some Christian friends about this question.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.