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During the early 90’s I eagerly jumped on the bandwagon of idolizing Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. When they faced the Portland Trailblazers in the 1992 Championships, I remember a growing tension in my household. My father, a lifelong Oregonian, was a faithful fan of Clyde Drexler and our local Portland Trailblazers team. He struggled with my fickle though well-deserved fascination with the dominating success of a team halfway across the country. In my youthful arrogance, I struggled with my father’s allegiance to a team holding much less appeal than the flashy Bulls.
While I have fond childhood memories of feeling a part of the Bulls' success, I also regret missing out on some of the glory days of Oregon’s only NBA franchise. Though the Trailblazers lost, I often yearn for what could have been. If I had been united with my father’s fandom, we could have shared fond memories as we collectively cheered on the Trailblazers' historic season. Guest speaker Pastor Tim Saffeels provided this definition of Goodness in a recent chapel. “Love what God loves, hate what God hates.” As the Fruit of the Spirit is rooted in God’s presence in our lives, it stands to reason that our definition of goodness would flow from His character. While this definition of goodness may appear fairly general, it is actually quite prescriptive. As we pursue Him, God graciously provides us with a lens to respond to the world around us. After chapel, I met with my small group of 8th-grade boys to investigate this definition further. I asked a simple question: "How do our convictions and actions align with our Father’s nature of goodness?" God’s Word makes it clear that God is love. If God was giving out grades, many of us may be satisfied with our ability to align our loving intentions with His. But he also washed away our sins and hates when we continue to return to them. His report card for how we sometimes choose to justify, ignore, or excuse evil in our lives would likely not land on our refrigerator door. The apostle Paul challenges us to walk in the Spirit daily rather than in the flesh. God’s goodness is perfectly holy and opposes all forms of sin. God clearly loves us despite the sin that plagues us, which He hates. Much more critical than mismatched household NBA allegiances, how does God’s nature of goodness align with what we celebrate and not tolerate? When we choose to release God’s goodness in all areas of our lives, we join the team of the eternal Champion. One of my favorite wedding gifts 25 years ago was from my Uncle Gene. He provided a free fishing float trip on the South Umpqua River. Despite his official “guide” status, I struggled to follow all of his experienced recommendations to meet our shared goal of catching as many fish as possible. In particular, I didn’t want to allow him to bait my line and unhook each fish I caught. While I watched my new bride efficiently bag many more fish using his suggested strategy, I struggled to keep up. My pride of “knowing better” than the expert in the boat limited the harvest.
During the month of February CCS will focus on the fruit of Spirit of “goodness.” The source of everything that is good comes from our perfect Heavenly Father. His son Jesus embodies this goodness, revealing the corresponding heart, words, and actions that define all that is good. In our flesh, it is so easy to replace God’s perfect goodness with a diluted form that fits our selfish desires. How silly of me to refuse the guidance of my Uncle Gene! I chose instead to embrace the boastful stance that a real fisherman manages his own fishing rod. Since that humbling learning experience, I have had several other fishing trips. Many times I have been partnered with my older brother who is also a renowned fishing guide. Fortunately, I have embraced all of his fishing guidance with open arms. Whether catching steelhead with my wife in Idaho or King Salmon in Alaska with my son, my entire family has benefitted from embracing the goodness of my brother’s experience and expertise. As parents and lead disciplers, it is important to be aware when we might replace God’s “goodness” with a watered-down counterfeit, often fueled by our human pride. Sometimes, it may be well-intended, even thinking we are being helpful or loving. But choosing to negate one of God’s truths because we think we know better is only a recipe to limit His intended harvest in His Kingdom. So whether fishing for small-mouth bass, fishing for men, or attempting to integrate God’s truth into this crazy culture, may the fruit of “goodness” flow from His divine Spirit living in each of us! |
Adam Kronberger
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