During the holidays there are a lot of things that aren’t so nice. Shopping, traffic, expense, weather, expectations, and that not-nice list goes on and on. If you’re like me you struggle to be nice when someone cuts you off on the road or muscles in on you in line or doesn’t deliver what you need on time. Maybe that’s where the idea of Santa’s naughty and nice lists came from because you only ever hear about it around Christmas. No parent tells their kid to be nice so they don’t get coal in their stocking in March. We need reminders to be nice in the bedlam of the holidays.
Nicer than nice is good
But being nice is sometimes only an outward act, when inwardly, you can still be filled to the brim with naughtiness! That’s why it’s infinitely better to be good than to be nice. You can fake it onto Santa’s Nice List, but to get onto God’s Good List there’s no heavy lifting required because God is always giving good things to everybody, especially his family, and there’s no greater reminder of God’s goodness than at Christmas when he gave us the greatest gift of all: himself in the person of Jesus! God is so good!
But what does good even mean? “How was your day?” “Good.” “How is the food?” “Good.” “How was that movie?” “Good.” The baby is good, the workout is good, the song is good, “Are you good?” “I’m feeling good, I’m doing good, I’m good.” “Good! That’s…good.” What does that even mean? Well, it all starts in Genesis when God, who is good, created everything, and called it “good.”
Genesis 1:3-5. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning–the first day.
Good God!
And this cadence repeats where God acts and acknowledges, creates and calls, does and defines. So we find that good is good not only because it’s experientially good, like, it’s beneficial, but because it came from God who is good. Everything that is good is good because it’s derivative of God who is good. The pages of the Bible are dripping with proof of his goodness. When we say that God is good, we’re saying that
- His nature is tenderhearted and sympathetic.
- We’re saying that his will is for us is always our benefit.
- His unfailing attitude toward us is open, frank and friendly.
- He is disposed to be kind, benevolent and loving toward us.
- His inclination is to bestow blessedness and he takes pleasure in the happiness of his people.
What God wants for you this Christmas
We see throughout the Bible that this drive that God has that we call his goodness is the sole reason that he chose to bless us with life and redemption. He didn’t save us because we’re good, but because he’s good. He didn’t save us because we’re worth it, but because he darned well felt like it, because he’s good! If you haven’t given your life to Jesus, you’re missing out! Contact me! Regardless, he causes the sun to shine on the upright and the wicked, because he’s good! And he sends the rain on the just and the unjust because he’s good! And his goodness is self-caused, infinite and perfect.
[tweetshare tweet=”God didn’t save us because we’re good, but because he’s good. He didn’t save us because we’re worth it, but because he darned well felt like it, because he’s good!” username=”Jrothwilson”]
That’s what God wants for you this Christmas season. Heck, that’s what God wants for you in every season. So how can we best receive his goodness? Have your hands open and ready to receive his goodness! Remember the goodness of God during this Christmas season who created all that is good and has begun the work of the re-creation of humanity by sending Jesus our Redeemer. In him we have every spiritual blessing and many others besides. Ask him to guide you to see, enjoy and share his goodness this Christmas.
From: God. To: You
- A love that can never be fathomed.
- A life that can never die.
- A righteousness that can never be tarnished.
- A peace that can never be understood.
- A rest that can never be disturbed.
- A joy that can never be diminished.
- A hope that can never be disappointed.
- A glory that can never be clouded.
- A light that can never be darkened.
- A happiness that can never be interrupted.
- A strength that can never be enfeebled.
- A purity that can never be defiled.
- A beauty that can never be marred.
- A wisdom that can never be baffled.
- Resources that can never be exhausted.
So forget the Nice List. Any putz can get on that. You’re already on God’s Good List. And you have such amazing gifts to UNwrap!
