Goodness is not as simple as it sounds.
In a world fractured by injustice, cruelty, and betrayal, goodness can feel naïve almost foolish. We’re told to be shrewd. To protect ourselves. To expect the worst from others and from life itself. Cynicism has become a kind of armor people wear to survive disappointment.
And yet, goodness remains one of the clearest and most powerful marks of a life rooted in the Spirit.
The Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV),
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”
Goodness isn’t something we produce by gritting our teeth or pretending the world isn't broken. It is the Spirit’s deep, hidden work within us shaping hearts that can hold both the reality of pain and the reality of God’s goodness at the same time.
Goodness in the Dark
Goodness doesn't grow in perfect conditions.
It grows in the dark.
It grows when the soil of life feels hard and unyielding, when the news cycle is heavy, when betrayal cuts deep, when our trust has been broken one too many times.
In those places, cynicism feels like the logical response.
But goodness dares to resist it.
Christopher J. H. Wright writes,
"Goodness is not naivety in the face of evil; it is the Spirit-empowered refusal to let evil have the final word."
Goodness chooses compassion when suspicion would be easier.
Goodness chooses integrity when compromise feels safer.
Goodness keeps believing in the transforming power of God's love even when it seems invisible.
Rooted Resistance
Jesus warned us that bearing good fruit would not be effortless.
He said in Matthew 7:17–18 (ESV),
“So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.”
To bear the fruit of goodness, we must be rooted not in our own strength, but in His life.
Deep roots are what keep us from collapsing into bitterness when life doesn’t go the way we hoped.
Deep roots anchor us when others let us down.
Deep roots nourish us with the steady, unchanging goodness of God Himself.
Kristin Elizabeth Couch captures this beautifully:
“When cynicism starts to creep in, it’s a sign that we need deeper roots, not harder hearts.”
Cynicism builds walls. Goodness builds bridges.
Cynicism isolates. Goodness invites.
Cynicism assumes the worst. Goodness looks for God's fingerprints even in the darkest corners.
And this isn’t something we can muster up.
It’s the Spirit’s work, slowly growing a resilient, defiant goodness in the soil of surrender.
God’s Goodness, Our Refuge
Psalm 34:8 (ESV) says,
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
Goodness begins not with our striving but with our tasting—experiencing, trusting, depending on the goodness of God even when the world around us feels anything but good.
The more we make His goodness our hiding place, the more we reflect His heart in the everyday moments that most people would overlook:
The kind word when sarcasm would feel more satisfying.
The honest action when shortcuts could stay hidden.
The faithful friendship when it would be easier to walk away.
Goodness doesn’t ignore the world’s brokenness.
It chooses to resist the easy slide into cynicism.
It dares to hope.
It dares to heal.
It dares to remain tender in a world that tells us to grow cold.
A Prayer for Today
Lord, when the world feels too heavy, teach me to cling to Your goodness.
When I am tempted toward bitterness and cynicism, root me deeper into Your unchanging love.
Let Your Spirit grow in me a goodness that is not naïve, but courageous.
Make my life a quiet protest against despair.
Let me be evidence of Your kindness, even here, even now.
Amen.
Even Here, Even Now
Goodness is not the easy path.
It’s the slow, hidden, sacred path of those who refuse to give up hope.
It is the Spirit’s quiet defiance against darkness.
It is deep roots in dark soil.
And even when the world feels cold, even when everything in us wants to retreat goodness keeps growing.
Not because of us.
But because Christ is alive in us.
Because His goodness endures forever.