What does it mean for something to be good?
The spaghetti that my dad made for dinner was good.
The song Shackles by Mandisa is good.
My dog, Bella, is good when she sits patiently for more than 10 seconds.
The crisp weather in the mornings is good.
Sugary coffee drinks from coffee corner are good.
Oversize sweatshirts and comfy flannels are good.
But the reality is that none of that is good.
We are good. In fact, we’re very good.
When the Lord created the heavens and the earth He called it good. He saw the beautiful mountains and the vastness of the oceans and He called it good. He saw nature in its purest, most untouched form. He saw the expanse of the Earth and the vision for what was to come and that was what He called it. Good.
Then He saw us. He created man, then He created woman. He saw us in our most vulnerable state. He saw us as His beautiful creation. He saw our precious hearts and He saw our potential to sin. He us in our fullness and He called us very good.
Very good. As in, better than just good. More beautiful than the mountains. More majestic than the creatures of the ocean. More praiseworthy than the sunsets. More wonderful than the stars. More special than the cute animals.
The Lord sees this goodness in us because He sees Himself in us. He sees the power that He has to work and the space that He has to move. He has called us very good ONLY because He sees His hand at work inside of us.
I’ve been challenged by this concept recently and I’ve sought to redefine goodness for myself. Instead of letting it be the casual response to “how are you”, I’ve been striving to let that word carry a lot of weight. Because it deserves a lot of weight.
Very good isn’t how my tacos taste.
Very good isn’t Ed Sheeran’s newest single.
Very good isn’t a hot shower.
Very good is me. Me in my purest. Me in my most sinful state. Me in God’s eyes. Because of the Lord inside of me. Always.
We are made as good and we are made to do good.
So, next time you find yourself using the word good in casual conversation, challenge yourself to see things through the Lord’s eyes. Challenge yourself to redefine that casual word into something that’s Holy, holds weight, and is worth being reverent over. Challenge yourself to find the real, genuine, goodness in your life.
