Is it important for Christians to exhibit “goodness” in the workplace?
When writing to the Galatians, Paul said to overcome the desires of the flesh we must walk by the Spirit of God. Therefore, our actions are evidence of whether we are walking with the Spirit of God or according to the desires of the flesh. Paul said, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”(Galatians 5:22-23).
So, yes, goodness is evidence of a Christian walking with the Spirit of God. But, in practical terms, what does Paul mean when he says a fruit of the Spirit is goodness?
Am I considered “good” simply because I’m a nice guy and my co-workers like me? Or, is Paul talking about something else?
Paul is using the word goodness in relation to an essential attribute of God that we are to emulate. So, the standard of goodness Paul is talking about is not man’s standard of goodness, but God’s.
God’s standard of goodness is a much higher bar for us to shoot for that man’s standard!
I Failed Miserably
The Vietnam War was raging while I was in college. Peace protestors were all over the campus.
One day as I was walking between classes, I noticed a group of protestors blocking the entrance to the school of business. A Vietnam veteran still using crutches due to an injury sustained in the war was trying to get past the protestors. First, they taunted him. Then they knocked his books to the ground. Finally, they kicked his crutches out from under him. As he hobbled about trying to scoop up his books, they continued to harass him.
I thought, “This is terrible; he didn’t do anything to them; I should help him.” But I didn’t. I kept on walking to wherever I was going.
What is ingrained in my memory from that day is that I had the opportunity to reflect the goodness of God to this young soldier, but instead, I did nothing. Oh sure, I thought about it. I knew what could and should be done. I could have helped him gather his things. I could have stood between him and the protesters. I could have acted. I should have acted. But I didn’t. Although I had a golden opportunity to reflect God’s goodness, I failed to act.
Exhibit Goodness
Jesus said we are to bear much fruit (John 15:8). Bearing fruit requires action. We must not only know the right thing to do, but we also need to do the right thing! James said that we must be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22).
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described a believer whose light shines in such a way it draws others to God (Matthew 5:14-16). If you want to be that kind of believer, one whose light shines brightly, then your actions toward your coworkers must reflect the same goodness that God shows us.
My challenge to you is to consider:
- Does the goodness which I show to others reflect God’s goodness to me?
- Does my goodness come from a pure heart, or do I seek selfish gain from the goodness I show?
- Do my acts of goodness have the components of mercy, love, and compassion?
When you and I reflect the goodness God shows us, goodness guided by walking with the Spirit of God, then we will be the light that shines brightly and draws others to the Father!
My Super-Secret Plan Series
I introduced my super-secret plan to integrate my faith into the workplace last fall. The plan itself is simple: I will exhibit, to the best of my ability, the fruit of the Spirit in the workplace as Paul directed in Galatians 5:22-23, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
No one can stop us from integrating our faith in the workplace by exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit!
The “Goodness” Aspect of My Super-Secret Plan is the seventh in a series, which examines how Christians can integrate our faith in the workplace.
You can read the first article that kicks off the series here, the article on Love here, the article on Joy here, the article on Peace here, the article on Patience here, and the article on Kindness here. Next up, we’ll be looking at integrating faithfulness as a fruit of the Spirit into the workplace in September.
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. How has goodness as an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit been demonstrated in your workplace?
I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because of the people like you who share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?
Category: Skills |Empowerment
