The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 6: 1-10

Goodness & Faithfulness

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

"Goodness" In the early morning dark, eyes half-closed, she crept down the stairs into the kitchen.  She gently felt for a cup, found the pot of coffee I had switched on a few minutes before, and filled her mug. The rich aroma wafted to her nose. Eyes still squinting, she opened the fridge, and instinctively knew where to find the litre of cream. She poured just enough into her coffee...Her disappointed wail, "Oooohhh nnnooooOOOOoooo!", filled the house.  The tell-tale flecks and lumps of white, swirling in her coffee, revealed unmistakably; the cream had turned sour... And ruined, the otherwise perfect, early morning ritual. She was now, wide awake.

Oh, yes; a small thing to be sure. A classic example of a "first world problem", yet, it serves as a modern parable of sorts, as we reflect on the nature of "goodness". What is "goodness"? Knowing if something is 'good' can be kinda vague. But we can definitely know when it is "NOT good". From soured dairy products, to spoiled fruit, to meat that has turned the last corner; from relationships that have soured, to our persistently repeating the same behaviour while insisting that, this time there will be a different result; "goodness" is an important feature of daily life. 

Throughout scripture the word "goodness" (and "good") is almost always used in describing God, yet Paul speaks of "goodness" as something God's Spirit is growing in us. 

So what IS "goodness" in our lives? What is the 'goodness' that the Spirit is growing in us? And how do we recognize it?  Is there a smell test?

- Pastor Joe