“But they are such a good person!”
Have you ever heard someone give this response when discussing the forever destination of an unbeliever's soul? The thought is that their good deeds should earn them an eternal reward. We declare that what matters is what we see of each other on the outside. The condition of our hearts is a secondary concern.
Sometimes it’s even our excuse as Christians for not following God fully. We do so much good, isn’t that enough for God? Shouldn’t he reward me for how kind I am? Look how generous I have lived! We believe there is no way God could require more of us. But if we stop and hear what we are saying, we realize this sounds like the misguided prosperity gospel, teaching God is our all-powerful piggy bank ready to reward us with material goods as long as we measure up. It also sounds like those Pharisees from way back when Jesus walked the Earth, who fully believed that their adherence to the endless labyrinth of laws they had created earned them their salvation.
Interestingly, God has a very different way of describing us. Romans 3:23 says,
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
Yikes! That’s harsh. But if we are honest, isn’t it just true? I wonder often about these so-called “good” people. I’ve been trying all my life to be good, do right, love well, not lose my temper with the ones I love, manage my insecurities, tamp down my fears, and be generous as much as possible. I am disappointed to report that I’m not-so-good at achieving these lofty goals. I wonder how those who are self-professed as being so good they don’t need God have figured out how to hack their sinful nature. That would be a how-to book I’d buy!
For me, rather than goodness, I’m learning humility that accepts that I have to apologize daily for my glaring lack of goodness to those that I love. I need humility that accepts that I am in desperate need of a savior because, left to myself, I’m a mess. I want a heart that holds onto God’s helping Holy Spirit for everything because He’s my only chance at making more of my life than brokenness and fear.
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With Jesus, Goodness Isn’t Our Goal, Faithful Living Is
This changes everything. When we stop spending all our time seeking ways to achieve, succeed, or self-help our way to the next level in life, we can start making space for Biblical living.
As a homeschool Mom, I’m often tempted to try to measure my goodness through my kids, but I have a friend who is reminding me at every turn that my job as a Mom and teacher is not about raising “successful” kids; the mission is to live a “faithful life”. All I have control over is my heart and sense of purpose, and for now, my heart feels led to invest heavily in my children. But I only control my story. And I’m not doing this to be a good Mom. I’m here daily because I love Jesus; he told me to do this.
As we evaluate our goals, goodness should be secondary to faithful living. Our dedication to Jesus fuels our actions. Matthew 25:23 says,
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
At the end of our lives, Jesus will greet us in Heaven and evaluate our lives. We strive for him to exclaim joyfully that we were faithful with a few things, so that he could trust us with many things. A faithfully lived life will be evaluated as good when we feel the weight of his glory judging us in Heaven.
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Goodness Can Become a “God” in Our Lives
Goodness can become a god in our lives, distracting us from the core of what we are called to do and be as Christ-followers. As creatures that love positive feedback, we can crave affirmation that we are doing good things, we are good people, we have good families, and we are making a promising future. All of that is about us.
In God’s upside-down Kingdom, all we do is to be for Him (1 Corinthians 10:23-33). Nothing is for our glory. So, as we consider being good, the why and how of this goodness matter tremendously. The goodness that exists in our lives is from him. Psalm 23:6 says,
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
We experience goodness in our days because God follows us with it. He gives it to us because he is a good Father. On our own, goodness isn’t possible. We need him to make anything true, noble, beautiful, worthy, or good out of our lives.
This changes how we see ourselves, not as creatures making a future, but as ones trusting God with our futures. We can’t take credit for being a “good person” for our “good lives,” we see the good fruit from us only as an extension of God’s grace on display in our stories.
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God Defines a Good Life Differently than the World Does
When we think of the “good life,” images of epic vacations, large houses, grand adventures, and material wealth come to mind. The way God defines a life well-lived requires us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow him (Matthew 16:24-26). Jesus’ way isn’t nearly as appealing as the culture's idea of the good life.
Consider Jesus, the only perfect human, came from a low-income family, he lived as a nomad during his ministry, made no efforts to amass wealth, focused on serving and healthing the outcasts and brokenhearted in the community, made no effort to gain status or power in the conventional sense, had not material possessions, and trusted his Father for everything he needed!
Jesus' life flies in the face of everything we believe will bring us happiness. He also angered the religious elite because he was not the power-hungry Messiah they were hoping for. He was a humble shepherd looking to show his love for us and illuminate the path to Heaven through his actions.
James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
The good life is one poured out for the sake of the Father. It’s often painful and complicated, makes no practical sense, requires sacrifice, humility, and service, and is not at all convenient. The good life is not about us at all; it's about the God who lives in us and works through us every day. It looks like sacrificial love and forgiveness are around every corner. 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 describes this kind of life as follows:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes, hopes, and endures all things.
God’s love is one that embraces boundaries, considers others better than ourselves, pursues truth, and is long-suffering. This is what a good life really is, and ultimately it’s not at all about us but about honoring the God who made us.
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Originally published Wednesday, 04 June 2025.