None Good

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone.Luke 18:19

I found myself recently making a common mistake: calling someone good. That’s just not right and it’s not right for several reasons.

The main reason, of course, is that Jesus told us that only God alone is God.  That should be plenty enough reason.

When we call a person “good” we cut the value of the word. God is good because he’s perfect. When we describe anything as “good” except God, we allow the word is include things which aren’t perfect. It’s tough enough to describe our Holy God without negating the few words that accurately portray Him.

I shouldn’t do it because it leads to lazy speech. When I say someone is “good” I know that’s not what I mean. I’m trying to express some other quality, but “good” is just an easy substitute. The last time I used “good” to describe someone, on further thought, what I really meant was: faithful, kind, and gentle. I should have used those words.

When we describe folks as “good” we set up a “grade on the curve” mentality. That’s very dangerous. We tend to think if we are “better” than some, then we’re okay. If we do that, we ignore God’s call to be perfect and we forget his reminder that nothing we can do is “good” enough to be worthy of living with Him forever. That’s thinking that we can’t afford to have or to spread to those we love.

Most importantly, perhaps, when we call a person good, we tend to hide the fact that although we are not good, we can be considered by God as “good.” It’s the most important truth of all. By faith in His son, we mirror His goodness, sufficiently to be acceptable to the Father and giving us the potential to overcome the sin that besets us.

There is none “good” and, that’s a good thing.

Be blessed.