ARE YOU A GOOD PERSON?
A friend of mine told me that the minister of their church began his sermon with the question "Does anyone here think they're a good person?" and she was the only one who put her hand up. That opened up so many thoughts during our conversation, starting with why he asked that particular question and then rolling into what it means to be a good person.
I thought I'd share some of my thoughts about it all here - because why not?
ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION
I think this minister was trying to direct everyone towards the idea that we don't earn our way to heaven by being as perfect as possible, and that being good isn't a free ticket to Paradise. But....I think he threw the baby out with the bathwater because wanting to be a good person and to lead a good life shouldn't be about that free ticket, it should be about aiming to become the best version of ourselves.
From a Christian viewpoint, the aim is to love God and to love others - doesn't that encompass being a good person? You can't be loving if you're being awful. From a general viewpoint, I'd like to think that my fellow human beings are all doing their best to live good lives and to be good citizens of this world we live in.
WHAT DOES BEING GOOD LOOK LIKE?
When I'm thinking about the type of person I'd like to become, I tend to come back to the Fruit of the Spirit for a list of character traits to aspire to:
These are setting the bar pretty high, but I like having something to aim for as I do my best to find the version of me that fits my beliefs and values. And, (surprise, surprise) goodness features in the list along with love, and joy, and peace, and kindness. How lovely would our world be if everyone aimed to practice these? Being that kind of person isn't about proving we're fit for a heavenly reward, it's about being the people we were created to be.
LIVING A GOOD LIFE
You can't live a good life if you're not a good person - you can live a selfish life, or a showy life, or a miserable life....but a life lived well needs to be based on how we show up day to day - personally and in the community we're part of. A good life doesn't necessarily mean a big, enviable, fast-paced, out-there existence, it can be a meaningful life full of small, simple joys that reflect good choices and a contentment with what we have.
The idea of a "good" life might vary from person to person, but ultimately it comes back to living life well, knowing you're doing your best to show up and invest in yourself and others. When the end of life comes, I'd like to think that the legacy I leave behind is one where my family and friends thought I was a good person who lived and loved well. So, I'd have been putting my hand up in that church service, alongside my friend, to say that I think I'm a good person too - or at least I'm a person doing my best to be good - not to earn my ticket to heaven, but to be a productive, kind, thoughtful, loving participant in this good world God has given us.
Years from now, people probably won't remember the clothes you wore, or how perfect your life looked online. But they will remember how your presence made them feel, the encouragement you gave, and the kindness you showed when there was nothing to gain.
Vex King
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Would you have put your hand up to say you were a good person? Is being "good" something to aspire to, or is it a relic of the past? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts in the comments.
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Hi Leanne, the questioner and the question were very provocative in a few ways! Captive audience and all that. Ha. So only we can answer the question for ourselves ideally but of course most of us humans want someone else to agree with us! One to think about! Denyse x
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