Welcome back to Faith Connection Friday! We are discovering various attributes of God and how we can connect them to our lives. This week, we look at God as a good and gracious gentleman.
One of the best songs that I think describes God, especially as a good and gracious gentleman, is Good Good Father by Chris Tomlin. I encourage you to take the time to listen to this amazing worship song and meditate on its message.
God is good all the time. All the time God is good. Repeat it. Again. He is good all the time. Every characteristic about Him is good. We, on the other hand, cannot be good. The Scripture says that no one is good. Only God’s Son, Jesus–fully God and fully man–is good, completely good. Everyone, at some point, wonders how God can be good when bad things happen. God cannot be bad–it is against His character. He is perfectly good. Reality is that we most certainly may not understand when bad things happen. These circumstances are difficult, sometimes too difficult. This reality can be tough to comprehend. And there are lots of tears. Yet, God is able to work all things together for good. Even if bad happens, good can come of it. This is not intended to sound cliché–God can bring good out of difficulty. This is where our faith and trust are tested. If I may offer a challenge: In the midst of adversities, there are blessings. Look for them. See the good. They may be small and unexpected, but they are there. One day when we look back at the situation, we will realize that God is truly good all the time–all the time God is good.
God is gracious. He is full of grace. An acrostic used for grace is God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense. We are given what we do not deserve–eternal life. By grace we are given salvation through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). As we meditate upon that thought, consider God’s characteristic of forgiveness. He gives it so abundantly, more than we could ask or think. He is gracious. How can I connect this? We have loved ones: parents, children, family, friends. There may have been instances in which we could have reacted to a situation in a way that could have been detrimental–we did not. Instead, we exercised grace–maybe even forgiveness. We gave them something they may not have deserved. Our God is always good and gracious.
God is a gentleman. A gentleman is courteous, respectful, polite, and gives honor to another. A gentleman is patient and kind, is not jealous, boastful, proud, rude, or self-seeking. Does not push himself upon another but waits. Encourages and does not demean or tear down. (1 Corinthians 13) These are characteristics of our good and gracious God.
Our Faith Connection Challenge: Did one aspect of God resonate more than another? We only touched on these; there is so much more to learn. Listen to Good Good Father.” It is who He is. Review the Scripture passages. It is my prayer that you are richly encouraged.
Dear Lord, You are always good. Though we may not always understand–You are still good. And You are more gracious than we sometimes recognize. May this precious one receive Your love, goodness, and grace. In Your Holy Name, Amen.
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