What has goodness to do with Love? Well, let’s break down what goodness meant to Paul and his readers in Thessoloniki, Corinth, Galatia, and Rome.

For us, in English, Goodness has to do with uprightness, good moral character, and the like. This is a close echo of this fairly unique word form of Agathos in the Koine of the day. So well, that word study was short…

What does morality have to do with love? If love is kind, gentle, humble, patient, and prefers others over self, then that sounds pretty darn moral, doesn’t it? That sounds more than just “good”, it sounds excellent. This is why goodness, in the fruit of the Spirit, is an aspect, or outgrowth of love. When we love perfectly, others become our primary concern, so we don’t do things that might inconvenience or hurt others, like lie, cheat, steal, or kill intentionally, it doesn’t even give quarter to things like envy or strife, or even offense leading to anger, bitterness, or resentment.

This is not to say that perfect love is humanly achievable here on earth, but as we grow in the likeness of Jesus, those hurts which cause us to hurt others, whether through action or inaction, spoken (idle) words, or even stray thoughts, become healed and we transform into little Christs. And the idea of fruit is that it grows when cultivated, just as we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, through the washing of water and the Word. This is the process of sanctification, becoming good as Christ is Good, perfect as our Heavenly Father is Perfect. Let me pose this question in closing… why would you say that morality or goodness, in this case, is not directly related to love?

Father,

Come and help me to be more receptive to the Holy Spirit’s shaping into the likeness of Christ. Help me to be a fertile place where goodness can grow in greater abundance. Bring your Holy Fire to cleanse and sanctify me even more today. That love would be my default rather than whatever flavor of hurt I may be experiencing on a given day. Help me to truly consider others above myself today, to cease to enforce what I would otherwise feel entitled to today, but instead give others their true due according to Heaven’s estimation. Give me your heart so that I can operate in goodness more today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.