Fruit in general gives me feelings of goodness, it’s the juiciness, the natural sugars, and the freshness that creates this feeling for me. There were a lot of excellent options to represent the spiritual fruit of goodness, but ultimately, a tiny fruit in the super food hall of fame won. That’s right, it’s a blueberry. 

Picture it now, you have a bowl full of blueberries in front of you. They all look perfectly inviting. Do you think they will all taste the same? I sure don’t! I am always shocked at the range of experience my tastebuds undergo within one container of blueberries. A good blueberry is REALLY good, but sometimes there’s one that looks similar to the perfectly sweet berry we just ate, but upon that first chew, a bitterness fills our mouth. You can’t always tell by the outside of the blueberry what sort of flavours are hiding within. 

I think goodness can be a lot like that. At times, it’s an outward display hiding an inner sourness. It’s a little bit fake or a little bit forced. It’s human nature to try to appease the people around us. I don’t think that’s always a bad thing, especially when the influential people in our lives are selected carefully, but it’s a dangerous path to travel.  

‘Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”’ 1 Corinthians 15:33 

Sometimes we make choices simply because the people around us will agree that the choice is good. We might receive praise or build our reputation within a specific group, or simply avoid conflict.  

Have you ever had an internal dialogue nudging you about a good opportunity, a good act of service, a good word to say, or a good time to walk away, and ended up fighting it and choosing a different path? What is it in those moments that directs our steps? Is it because it will be divisive amongst the people we are with to do this “good thing”. Or, perhaps we expect ridicule from the outside world if we listen to that inner voice. Those are the moments that really expose what our motivation is to be “good”. When you make a choice that looks good but deep down know it wasn’t the right choice for you, does it leave a sour taste in your mouth? It’s the blueberry that looks perfectly ripe on the outside, but inside, it’s a little less sweet.  

Goodness will be defined differently based on who you ask, even within the same faith. God equips us with different giftings and opportunities to use them and it can be hard to see that complexity and appreciate goodness as a whole bunch of moving parts at times. There are so many different displays of goodness. When it comes from deep within, it is remarkable to see in someone. It spills out of them in their energy, actions, and words. It’s pure and truly feels like a glimpse into Heaven. Caring less about the opinions of others and more about God’s opinion helps you sleep at night. When Holy Spirit directs your steps and you listen, the voices of doubt and regret have nothing to say.  

Our idea of goodness strengthens with the development of our relationship with the Lord. He is our compass in all things good. Some people have more experience reading a compass than others. It takes effort, practice, surrender, and repetition to travel on that straight and narrow compass line.  

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8