Week 9 Devotional | Be a Good Person and Do Good Things

Competition can bring out the best in people and the worst in people. Everyone loves a good rivalry because it's intense and exciting. Great opponents bring the best out of us. They push us harder and farther than we can push ourselves. They force us to rise to the occasion. It is important to appreciate and respect our opponents because they push us to be the best that we can be.

And it's important to remember that even in the middle of the toughest battles if you are a follower of Jesus, and to do as Jesus did. You can be the fiercest competitor and still be a good person.

BE A GOOD PERSON AND DO GOOD THINGS

Goodness is defined as the quality of being morally good or virtuous, but goodness is more than being a nice, kind, and polite model citizen. Goodness is an excellence of character that actively and intentionally works from the inside out and is seen and felt by everyone that you come in contact with. Goodness is about being a good person, but it is also about being a good, hardworking, mentally tough athlete who trains and competes to win.

God calls us to be filled with goodness and to be holy, righteous, and pure in what we do so that through us, others can see the goodness of Jesus.

It hurts my heart when I see teams divided because of rivalries between teammates. We should always strive to be the best teammates that we can be. Good teams have good athletes and great teammates, but often the competition between teammates overshadows the importance of being good people.

You can always choose goodness. Even if the people around you aren't being good to you, you can always choose to be a good person. You can always choose to let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Remember that even Jesus was rejected. He was criticized for the people he spent time with and some of the things that He said and did, but He never stopped being a good person and servant leader, and He never let the words or actions of others affect His mission and purpose. Jesus's goal was to reach and save as many people as possible by casting a wide net and inviting anybody who will listen into His kingdom.

In Matthew 13:47-50, Jesus shares with his disciples The Parable of the Net:

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of age. The Angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them in the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Live a good life so that you will be chosen and put in the good basket. Jesus also said, "You will know them by their fruits. Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them (Matthew 7:15-20).

Don't work to be a good athlete and forget to be a good person, but don't be so focused on being a good person that you don't grow as an athlete. Strive to be as good as you can be in sports and in life.

And whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24).

Be a good person, do good things, and live a good life.

This Week

1 - What is one thing that you want to be known as being good at?

2 - What is one way that you focus on being good to others?

3 - In life, we often have to deal with people who aren't good to us or good for us. How do you focus on being good and doing good when the people around you aren't?

4 - Do you have a Bible verse or quote that you can lean on when there is not a lot of good around you?

5 Bible Verses About Goodness

1 - Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 6:16

2 - "You will know them by their fruits. Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. - Matthew 7:15-20

3 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32

4 - Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:21

5 - For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. - 2 Peter 1:5-7

For a Google doc version, click here: Week 9 Devo | Goodness