2021-11-20
Psalm 25:8 NLV
Hoe sal jy ‘goedheid’ of ‘die goeie lewe’ definieer? Die Franse filosoof, Jean-Jacques Rousseau het geluk as: “‘n Goeie bankbalans, goeie kos en ‘n goeie spysverteringstelsel,” gedefinieer. Sommiges sal sê dat die goeie lewe fisies van aard is. Hulle dink dat daar niks beters as ‘n lang, warm bad, ‘n rugmassering of ‘n drankie in die kroeg is nie. Ander mense sal weer sê dat die goeie lewe materieel van aard is. Hulle dink as jy ‘n herehuis, ‘n Mercedes en geld het, dat jy die goeie lewe geniet.
Goedheid gaan egter nie daaroor om goed te voel, goed te lyk, of goed te besit nie. Dit gaan daaroor om goed te wees en goed te doen. Net soos ons ‘n horlosie nodig het om tyd aan te dui en ‘n liniaal nodig het om afstand te meet, so het ons ‘n universele standaard nodig om goedheid te bepaal. Ons het een. God! Sonder ‘n algemene aanvaarde standaard vir goedheid, word dit ‘n grys area en kom dit op opinie neer.
Hitler het gedink dat die uitwissing van die Joodse ras ‘n ‘goeie ding’ was. Selfmoordbomaanvallers dink dat dit ‘n ‘goeie ding’ is om onskuldige mense dood te maak. Sulke denke kan nie teengestaan word met ‘n eenvoudige: ‘Dis nie ‘n goeie ding’ nie. Wat weerhou Hitler of ‘n selfmoordbomaanvaller dan daarvan om te sê: ‘Wel, dis net jou opinie’?
Die woord ‘goed’ stam van ‘n ou Engelse woord met dieselfde konnotasie as God, af. Dit beteken letterlik: ‘Om soos God te wees.’ Die Engelse woord ‘Goodbye,’ is die verkorte weergawe van: ‘God be with ye.’ Die universele standaard vir goedheid kan net deur iemand wat universeel goed is, bepaal word en die enigste Een wat dit kan wees, is God. Dink daaroor!
Sielskos: 2 Kro 22-24; Joh 12:12-19; Ps 102:1-11; Spr 27:7-9
Psalm 25:8 NCV
What does it mean to be good? We might think it stems from feeling happy about ourselves and our lives. Some people might say that it can come from having ‘a good life’, the implication being that if we have enough money, a nice house, a good job, and are able to live comfortably, we’re more inclined to try to be a good person. Some might think that the way we feel makes a difference, so things like nice clothes, good food, a long soak in a hot bath – anything thank makes us feel and look good – can influence our level of goodness.
But goodness isn’t about feeling good, looking good, or having goods. We can’t judge goodness based on our own opinions because everyone would have a different idea of what’s good and what’s bad. We need a guide, something to measure it by. And we have one in God. He is our standard for goodness. ‘The LORD is good and right; he points sinners to the right way.’
The Bible tells us that only God is good. The Amplified Bible puts it like this: ‘No one is [essentially] good [by nature] except God alone’ (Mark 10:18). That means goodness doesn’t come from what we do, what we have, or how we’re feeling. True goodness only comes from God. That means we need to stay close to Him every moment of the day, to allow Him to fill our lives and influence our thoughts, words, and actions. We need to constantly test what we’re doing against His standard for goodness to make sure they line up. We’ll never be as good as God, but with His help, we can do better each day and get ever closer to His standard for goodness.
2 Chr 22-24; John 12:12-19; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 27:7-9
Psalm 25:8 NIV
How would you define “goodness” or “the good life?” French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau defined happiness as “a good bank account, a good cook, and a good digestion.” Some would say the good life is physical. They think it doesn’t get any better than a long soak in a hot tub, a back rub, and a drink at the pub. Others would say the good life is material. They think if you have the mansion, the Mercedes, and the money, you’re living the good life.
But goodness isn’t about feeling good, looking good, or having goods. It’s about being good and doing good. And just like we need a clock to tell time and a ruler to measure distance, we need a universal standard for determining goodness. And we have one. God! “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.” Without a universally accepted standard for goodness, it becomes a gray area, a matter of opinion.
Hitler thought annihilating the Jewish race was “a good thing.” Suicide bombers think killing innocent human beings “is a good thing.” And such thinking can’t be countered with a simple, “That’s not good.” What’s to keep a Hitler or a suicide bomber from saying, “That’s just your opinion”?
The word “good” stems from an old English word with the same connotation as God. It literally means “to be like God.” Goodbye is the shortened phrase “God be with ye.” So, the universal standard for goodness can only be decided by one who is universally good, and that One can only be God. Think about it!
Soul food: 2 Chr 22-24; John 12:12-19; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 27:7-9
2021-11-19
John 7:24 NLT
We make assumptions based on outward appearances all the time. It’s a plot point of countless films, books and TV shows: the demanding and expensively dressed hotel guest who everyone thinks is a hotel inspector turns out to be a scammer looking to cheat people; the unassuming worker dressed in old jeans and a T-shirt who everyone looks down on turns out to be the owner of the company.
Outward appearances can be misleading, so Jesus encourages us to ‘look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly’ (John 7:24 NLT). He had experienced the pain of rejection and misunderstanding for Himself. ‘He came to the world that was his own, but his own people did not accept him’ (John 1:11 NCV). The apostle James wrote: ‘How can you claim to have faith in…Christ if you favour some people over others…give special attention…to the rich…but…say to the poor…”Stand…there, or…sit on the floor”…Doesn’t this discrimination show…your judgments are guided by evil motives?…If you favour some people over others, you are committing a sin’ (James 2:1, 3-4, 9 NLT).
When Samuel went to the house of Jesse to anoint Israel’s next king, he was impressed by Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son. Eliab must have looked the part of a king because Samuel was sure this was who God had in mind too. But God said, ‘Don’t look at how handsome Eliab is or how tall he is, because I have not chosen him. God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the LORD looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7 NCV). The person God had actually chosen was Jesse’s youngest son, David, who they hadn’t even bothered to call in from tending sheep. So, let’s look beyond what we see, and try to get a glimpse of the person God sees.
2 Chr 19-21; John 12:1-11; Ps 76; Prov 27:4-6
John 7:24 NLT
John Wesley said, “We should be rigorous in judging ourselves and gracious in judging others.” Why did Jesus say, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly”? (v. 24 NLT). Because He had experienced the pain of rejection and misunderstanding. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11 KJV).
The apostle James writes: “How can you claim to have faith in…Christ if you Favour some people over others…give special attention…to the rich…but…say to the poor…’Stand…there, or…sit on the floor’…Doesn’t this discrimination show…your judgments are guided by evil motives?…If you Favour some people over others, you are committing a sin” (James 2:1, 3-4, 9 NLT).
The story is told that when country singer Lonzo Green’s nephew Jimmy asked him to tune a friend’s guitar, he agreed. The problem was Jimmy’s friend was from the “wrong side of the tracks” and Jimmy’s parents wouldn’t allow him inside their house where Uncle Lonzo was visiting. So they decided to meet outside. As the kid approached, Green noticed his self-consciousness and sidewise glances at the upscale neighbourhood. Lonzo, who had experienced poverty and discrimination in his own life, tuned the boy’s old guitar, played a few songs, and taught him some chords. The young man thanked him and left with a warm memory he would carry throughout the rest of his remarkable life. Eventually that boy crossed the tracks for good with his guitar and soft, polite drawl and hesitant smile, and was never unwelcome again. That’s because the boy who wasn’t allowed in the house that day was – Elvis Presley!
Soul food: 2 Chr 19-21; John 12:1-11; Ps 76; Prov 27:4-6
