When good is not about you but God

This morning, I was in a cab heading to the Island on my way to work. When I entered, I asked the driver for the fare, and he told me. There was already a lady seated at the back, and as more passengers entered, she asked an elderly woman—perhaps her mother or sister—why the driver was charging everyone the same amount, even though some had joined the ride midway. She said it felt like cheating, while the other woman disagreed.

Immediately, my heart drifted to the word good. How do we truly define “good”? Have we become people who define good only by what benefits us? When it works in our favor, it is good—but when it doesn’t, suddenly it is not.

We love to see good things happen to us, but when it’s someone else’s turn, we often turn away and pretend not to see. Scripture says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31), which means we should treat others exactly how we want to be treated—loving them as long as it is within our power.

The Bible also reminds us, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12). This is the true measure of goodness.

When God created man, He looked and saw that he was good (Genesis 1:31). This means there is something within you that has the capacity for good. But the fall of man introduced a distorted definition of what good is. Yet God is calling us back to His standard—to pursue peace with all and to seek the good of others: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18).

Scripture also says, “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification” (Romans 15:2), and “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so” (Proverbs 3:27).

Be accommodating. Be kind. Be polite. “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). Those who worship Him must reflect His character.

Stay revived!