Strong spirits: don't we have to strive to be good?

Are you a good person? According to God, you are!

God created us good- yes! you too!- and desires for that goodness to flourish and grow in our lives. That only happens as we learn to abide in Christ- to have him at our center, and follow him at all times. We don't have to strive to be good. God made us good. We need to yield to him, and let his Spirit fill us. Don't try to please God or others by doing good things. Good doing will flow out of us as we abide in him.

When you were young, as you went out the door, your mom may have said, "Be good!' God says you already are!

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the person who takes refuge in him." King David (Psalm 34:8)

"So God created man in his own image... male and female he created them... God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (Genesis 1:27,31)

"With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith." the apostle Paul (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

More articles by Gary Schwerin

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