#15 Good vs Nice: a conclusion

As I wrap up the topic of good vs nice, I wanted to highlight the main takeaway that I want to leave you with: the fact that being good is personal. As you start to release some of that personal drive, I want to point out some things that will help you keep yourself in check. I believe there are a few things that being personal does not mean, which I will use to help you understand what being personal truly does mean. Ultimately, I hope I can nurture your understanding of the target you are shooting at when I say we should all be good. 

First of all, personal doesn’t mean that you stay perfectly on the path all the time. One of the big fears of letting yourself have what you want is that you’ll mess up what you want in the long run. In some ways, you’d be right in having that fear. But to commit to a cause is to commit to a refinery. As we dedicate more and more of ourselves to a single thing, we come face-to-face with everything that gets in our way. Some things come off easily, flying out of our lives like snow on a speeding car. Other things take some work, like our addictions and our deep-rooted fears. 

The concern is that part of us will one day want to do something else, and that we will find ourselves unable to do anything but abandon our post. We fear the anger that boils up, taking over to yell at the kids. We fear those nuclear reactions, so we shut down the entire plant. But that’s a mistake. Take a look at anyone that has done anything noteworthy with their lives. In each and every one of them, you can find a love of something. Whether it’s a love of God, of country, or even of discipline, they all love something that drives them. Yes, they fall sometimes. We all do. But it’s better to get up and keep improving than to make one mistake that you use as an excuse not to try. We all mess up at some point in our lives, the trick is to acknowledge that you did the wrong thing, and to try again. 

But this refining process isn’t a solo act. You don’t have to wake up every day and try to fit yourself into the box of goodness. You don’t have to keep a watchful eye on yourself, ready to pounce on every impurity that boils to the surface. That’s the good news: God is there to do it all for you. Ezekiel 36:26 says that God will give us a new heart, and His spirit to follow His laws, including to love others and God. That’s the refinery process, and it’s all done for you! All you have to do is show up. How cool is that!

So listen to the desires of your heart. Pray to God and tell Him all about them. Pray for guidance in dealing with your every dream, desire and goal. God won’t leave you hanging if you are looking for Him. He may do it His own way, but would we truly be serving God if He fit perfectly into our mold every time? That sounds a bit like slavery to me. But the condition of the heart is important to God, so just ask. If you stuff it all down, it won’t go away anyway, so you may as well take the best route to getting your problems solved. 

Over time, the little things will fall by the wayside, and God will tune you in to the frequency of the heart's deepest desires-both yours and His. The problems you face might be products of a desire so deep that you haven’t noticed it yet. But God will meet your truest needs, and from there you will overflow with His love and grace as it pours into you. At the end of the day, He will restore you to goodness, a truer goodness than you could have possibly imagined. And it will be glorious. You will go out and be a force of nature for the good of mankind, praising the Father all the way home. 

As we wrap up this series, take some time to pray to God, telling Him the deepest desire of your heart. It’s ok if what you have isn’t the purest dream, or the most selfless desire. Just cut yourself wide open and pour it all out to Him. You can pray it, write it down, or even sing it. Whatever helps you to get in touch with your desires. As you pray this, be willing to let Him do what He wants with your heart. And trust in the undeniable truth that God is on your side. He has your back and wants what’s best for you. I pray this series has found you well, and that your life may become a force for true, personal good. I pray that you move with purpose for undeniable good, and that you have the courage to follow it to its completion

Until next time

May Peace be your Guide