Exploring Goodness: A Biblical Perspective

Hi Fam! A blessed Sunday to you all!

For the past few days, I have been meditating about one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:2-23:goodness . When the Holy Spirit highlighted this particular fruit of the Holy Spirit to me , I realised that this is one of the least taught among the fruit of the Holy spirit. Somehow, more weight and attention has been placed on some of the other fruits of the Holy Spirit. Yet, each and every single one of these are equally important.

From the research I did, the word “Goodness” in Hebrew is primarily translated as Tov (טוֹב) or Tub (טוּב), which implies moral excellence, functional beauty, prosperity, and beneficial quality. Goodness is also defined as that which fulfils God’s purpose. Goodness here is not just moral correctness; it is about things being exactly as they were meant to be.

The first place we see the word “good” is in the book of Genesis. Whenever God created anything, He would refer to it as being good.The word “good” appears 7 times in the first chapter of Genesis regarding creation. Genesis 1:31
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”
→ “Good” (Hebrew: tov) describes something perfect, complete, and aligned with God’s will.

Everything that God created was meant to reflect Himself because the Bible says that God is Good.

The word “good” is mentioned about 700 times in the KJV version of the bible, while the word “goodness” is mentioned about 50 times in the KJV version. The word “goodness” & “good” are used to ;

A. Describe the nature of God – Everything about God is Good (that means He has no flaw at all)

1. Psalm 100:5 :For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
2. Psalm 119:68 : You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.
3. 1 Chronicles 16:34 : Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
4. Exodus 33:19 : And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
5. Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 

B: Describing Creation – God calls all of His creation “good” (tov).

Aside from God being good, He describes His creation as being good, because everything He created was meant to take after His nature including we as His children. In Genesis 1:1- 31, we see this ( Please take time to read the entire chapter here )

Vs 3: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. vs 10: ⁰ God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Vs 31:  God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Other Bible verse include:

1. 1 Timothy 4:4 : For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.
2. James 1:17 : Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
3. Acts 14:17 : Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.

C: Spiritual Fruit (Galatians 5:22-23)

As Christians , as we walk with the Holy Spirit, He develops in us the fruit of goodness, simply because this is the very character and nature of His God. As we are cerated in His image and likeness, we must trust the Holy Spirit to develop this fruit in each one of us.

1. Matthew 7:11 : If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
2. Luke 6:35 : But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
3. Romans 15:14 : I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

There is so much more I could highlight about the goodness of God, that I may do a part 2 because as Scripture unfolds, goodness becomes more personal like in the book of Psalms and in the new testament, goodness takes on an even more transformative dimension. . I just wanted to come here and encourage you all that God is good and he has good plans for each of your lives. Therefore in all circumstances, especially the difficult ones, continue to trust Him, and hold on to His word. Find a bible verse to see you through the tough seasons of life. Because He is good he will fulfil his goodness over your life.

In a world where definitions of “good” often shift, the Bible offers a steady anchor: goodness is grounded in God’s character. To pursue goodness, then, is to reflect Him—living in a way that aligns with His truth and brings light into our lives.

Do you know Jesus as Lord and Saviour? If no, please say this prayer out loud:

Said this prayer? Let us know in the comments?