Joey B. Goode

I wish I could tell you I was a good guy. I’m not.

I’m not necessarily a bad guy either…I’m just a guy.

I think that it isn’t a matter of goodness as much as a matter of character.

You know how Jesus said: “Call no man good…except God” or something like that?

There really is no good thing in me. I don’t feel like I have a fountain of innate goodness flowing through my soul. I mean I have the comforter, the holy spirit, and that’s good and pure and righteous. But in and of myself I can’t say I’m “good”.

Remember your mom (or dad) calling you a good boy or good girl? What did they mean by that? It was almost always related to some behavior, something you did: either you obeyed or helped out or did a good deed, etc. Goodness wasn’t related to being as much as it was to doing.

Okay so I don’t want to get too heavy here nor do I want to get bogged down into a Buddhist-like discussion of the nuances of being versus doing, etc. I only bring it up to make my point which is: goodness isn’t innate. We’re not just “good” men or women. We make ourselves “good” by doing acts that are recognized as being “good” (and not evil) and these are more a result of our conscience or character than of any inherent goodness in us.

I know that goodness is one of the fruit of the spirit. It a sense it is a “doing” fruit whereas something like “joy” is more of an experience than an action. So as we “put off the old man with his deeds” (action) and “put on the mind of Christ” (action) we are “transformed by the renewing of our minds” and therefore not like everyone else in the world.

But is that true because of our birth? Is it a result of what family we were born into? Is it true because of where we live, who we know, how much money we acquire? No. You know a good tree by its good fruit: beginning and end of story.

A man or woman that wants to have friends, must be friendly. So a man or woman that wants to be “good” must do “good things”…act in a way that portrays goodness.

And I’m not talking about acting in the sense of a Broadway actor playing a role, although at times it might be beneficial to “fake it till you make it” in life. But I’m talking about acting (or it’s converse: not acting) by a deliberate decision of the will.

For example: most of us would never steal something because we know it’s wrong. How do we know it’s wrong? Well in the sense of the natural law, we wouldn’t want anyone stealing from us. Then maybe our parents put us in mind of this by teaching us the Ten Commandments or another body of religion or philosophy that advised: Thou shalt not steal. Then perhaps we live in a society that discourages theft by enforcing the laws of the land and providing negative consequences for engaging in that activity.

All of this adds up to the end result that: most people do not steal. But what about the old story of Abraham Lincoln walking a mile to return a penny? I don’t know if any of that is true but it’s a cultural thing so what about that? What if a shopkeeper accidentally rang up your order and forgot to charge you for a book or a DVD or a small appliance. Maybe it was only $10 or $20 or $30. Would you go back to Wal-Mart or Target and show them the receipt and pay them the difference? Or would you think: “Oh they’re rich enough, they don’t need my money”?

You know, I think I’ve done both: gone back and not. Why? Because I’m not inherently good or anywhere close to perfect. I believe in goodness, oh wretched man that I am, but I don’t always practice it. We all look good at times, to the outside world. We give “good” advice. We do “good” works. We sponsor “good” activities. We appear to be upstanding, “good”, solid citizens. And, for the most part, we are. But then ask our spouses (male or female) about us and sometimes a whole different picture emerges. Why? Because we’re not that good? No, more because when you live with someone everyday in a close up and personal way you see all the dirty underwear, all the times you’re tired or confused or angry or depressed or whatever. And so when friends and acquaintances and neighbors think how great we are, we can then come home to our husbands and wives and be reintroduced to reality.

That’s too big a subject to go into because on some levels, the love of God manifested dictates to our hearts that we overlook, forget, forgive and NOT bring up all those weaknesses and foibles to each other. You know love is patient, love is kind, love doesn’t thrust itself in the center ring, etc. Love is another fruit of the spirit. It’s not the natural condition of the sons and daughters of Eve (and Adam) to live there. We bear children in stress and we work out the thorns and thistles in the ground to get our bread in the sweat of our faces and then we return to the dust unto which we came. Not exactly an epic movie script.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love, gave us His only begotten Son, that whosever believes in him shall not perish but have life in the age to come. Now there’s a man that proved himself worthy of acclamation. Our Lord Jesus Christ went through the fires of persecution, torture and crucifixion for our sins and came out the other side of that experience a whole new man able to save us to the uttermost who follow him. And when the Pharisees called him “Good Master”, he says to them: only God is good boys…don’t call me good. How do you like that?

I like it a lot and it’s one of the realities that keep me pursuing righteousness, goodness, faith, meekness, etc…all those things that “against which there is no law”. I have not reached these things but I am confident that they are more real than gold and silver which I can see and that the fruit of pursuing after them, is better than any earthly master can pay.

So am I good? Not really. I’m just convinced that my soul is worth more than the whole world because without it: where am I really? So, in a sense, I’m a mercenary, I’m a survivor, I’m a fanatic, I’m a fool for Christ’s sake that I may hold on to my golden ticket and see, if not Paris, London, Bangkok and Macchiu Pichu, at least I may open my eyes in the Kingdom of God and behold the Holy City someday, in the age to come. When I think about that, it’s really not that hard to labor in the sweat of my face against the weaknesses that are within me. When I forget that, even the holy spirit within me can’t help me overcome my feelings of self concern and doubt.

So I pray that God piles just enough fertilizer into your life and mine to keep us growing; not too much to burn us up, but just enough to make us very fruitful in all things pertaining to Him. It’s some good sh_t even though it really stinks at times!

Be good by doing good and, if you think you’re wise, then become a fool. It’s a great career move. The benefits are out of this world.
@ 2008 Joseph Ricciardi Jr