The Goodness of God

“Original blessing is simply what happens when God steadfastly decides to be in relationship with us. That relationship bestows goodness upon us, and also within us. We are steadfastly

And benevolently tethered to God”

Danielle Schroyer in Original Blessing: Putting Sin in Its Rightful Place

I have been adrift in the theological world as of late, allowing my mind to wander where God would have it to go and letting The Spirit speak to me in ways that it wishes. It is hard for me to do sometimes, it is a very contemplative exercise. I love and hate it. But God has met me every-single-time in some very unexpected ways. One thing that keeps coming to the forefront of my thoughts and prayers is the idea of Gods goodness and mercy. We talk about them all the time, but do we meditate on them much? Do we let that sink in?

The goodness of God is evident everywhere and all the time. Romans 2:4 states that it is God’s goodness (or kindness in some translations) that leads men unto repentance. God is good, and His goodness is what fulfills me every day, but can be a total terror for others. Goodness, like grace, abounds everywhere and for everyone. I did not make a grammatical error there, it is for everyone. Let that sink in….

When God hovered over the firmament in Genesis and was surveying all that He created He said, “it was very good…” Genesis 1:31 (NIV) God did not look at his creation and say aww nuts, fleas? I made fleas? He looked at them and declared they were good, just as He looks and you and I and declares we are good.

God’s relationship to His people and His creation did not change the moment we ate of the apple at the tree. The way man knew and related to God changed. God’s goodness did not stop in the garden, it continued, and continues to this day. What has changed is the way that we see God. Instead of seeing His benevolence and taking part in it freely, we see ourselves as flawed and unable to partake of His mercy and grace and love. Nothing could be further from the truth, He is still wooing us into a divine dance with Him. All we need to do is stop and listen to the rhythm and join in as he comes around the dance floor, and He is always dancing.

When I was in the 6^th grade, I went to my first school dance. As a young and hormone ridden kid (I would tell you I was a man back then because I had a deep voice) I had someone in mind to ask to dance. I was so nervous that I went into the bathroom and almost threw up. I begged a breath mint off a teacher to not offend the one I had set mine eyes upon. Once my head was clear, my resolve steady, and my breath as fresh as it would be – I dove in. I asked Darcy, the young woman I had been on the hunt for, to dance. I never was so nervous up to that point in my short life. I had imagined her answer from the moment I decided to ask her. She was going to say yes, tell me she had been waiting all night for me to ask, and we were going to be steady from that night into eternity. Instead I got the firm NO, a giggle, and a look from her friend that told me I was shopping in the upscale neighborhood, and I was a trailer park boy. I was crushed. How could she not want to be seen with me, a newly formed man well ahead of the pack in puberty?

I tell this story because the dance we are invited to with God is like the awkward first school dance. God is that kid who gets on the dance floor and just has a good time. He does not look to another to validate that he is cool and that he is the best dancer, he-just-dances. He sets the tone for the rest of the night. As he dances a young woman may come along and step into his rhythm, and then another, and then another. Those who are too shy to immediately ask a girl to dance get in there and the dance continues. Maybe you line dance, maybe you do The Electric Slide, maybe you just shake your butt and have a good time. The point is, the prime mover, that first person starts the whole thing. That first person is the goodness of God.  He makes it okay to step onto the dance floor, and he woo's you to join in the goodness. But He is a gentleman and He will not make you join the dance. However He will overwhelm you with the sense of joy and love and grace. You can sit on the outskirts of the dance floor, nurse your punch until you are so hopped up with sugar that you brain is about to bounce out of your ears, and you can even leave. But the joy of the dance, started by that one kid who had the guts to dance, will still beckon you.

So often we all sit on the side of the dance floor and recount all the reasons that we cannot or should not be a part of the dance. We list our sins, our faults, our responsibilities that keep us from partaking in the divine dance. We give every reason, all-the-while seething with jealousy for that one kid that started the rave. What we should remember is that the kid who started the dance does not care what is going on in your life, he just wants to dance. Dancing is more fun with others, and he wants you to join. This is why God created us, to be co-creators of love, goodness, kindness, mercy and grace. When we decide to dance, those problems, worries and barriers tend to melt away. 

Now get out there and dance in the goodness of God. GO, STOP READING THIS – DANCE you freak, DANCE!

-Selah