I need to share this message with you without being critical, accusatory, or dismissive. I’ve wrestled with it myself for some time now, and I pray it’s marinated enough in my soul to move into yours with grace.
We — the ones who follow Jesus and declare to the world we are His children — we must stop saying God is good only when good happens in our lives. When we declare His goodness and proclaim it only in times of personal blessing, we give the world half the story, and we build them up to believe a lie that could ultimately bring them devastation.
You see, they are asking, “Is God good?”, and they are silently wondering, “Could He be good to me?” Our own responses impact their understanding.
God is always good, not only when we see it.
God is always good, not only when we feel it.
God is always good, not only when we are blessed.
Jesus Himself declared, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). An undeniable part of following Christ is being troubled in this life. We will be – are guaranteed to be – misunderstood, rejected, abused, and outcast. Yet in those very times, God is still good. His power, might, love, and authority are not diminished because of our hardships. His goodness does not ebb and flow.
God is just as good on your very worst day as He is when your bank account is overflowing.
He’s just as good in your cancer diagnosis as He is in your health.
He’s just as good in the bad as He is in the good.
