We abide in Christ so that we can build relationships and live the gospel with everything we have. We are living in a culture of weariness, but that doesn’t stop us from living in the Kingdom of God. We can have a joyful embrace of God’s way. We serve a good and generous God. God’s goodness is not connected to what we see in a broken and sinful world. He is who He is above all creation. Psalm 118:29 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” This was a stark contrast to the pagan idols that were worshipped in the Old Testament. Those idols could be seen as good one day and bad or evil another day. God is, in His definition, good. What He made is good. (Gen 1:31) Because of this Truth, we can trust Him.

God is generous. Our generosity is a reflection of the One who lives within us by His Holy Spirit:

Gen 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (His generosity for us to live.)

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son… (He gave us His Son as a sacrifice.)

Acts 2 – He gave us His Holy Spirit. (He gave us a Helper.)

1 Corinthians – He gives us spiritual gifts (He gives us the opportunity to partner with Him.)

All that we have been given should be invested into:

1. The souls of man who will spend an eternity in either heaven or hell
2. God’s Word – which gives us life

God has incommunicable traits and communicable traits. The incommunicable traits cannot be shared because they are unique to God, but the communicable traits are shared.

Incommunicable traits. Communicable traits

Immutability Goodness

Eternality Love

Omnipresence Peace

Omniscience Holiness

Jen Wilkin’s pointed out that we tend to obsess with the list on the left and we want those traits to be true of us. It reveals how we want to RIVAL God rather the REFLECT Him

1. How many people spend their day plotting how to achieve limitless LOVE for others?
2. How many people spend their day plotting how to achieve limitless POWER over others?

We can reflect to the world that our joy is not connected to circumstances of the world.

Questions to Consider:

1. Do you believe in the goodness of God? When have you fallen into the trap allowing circumstances to color your view of Him?
2. In what areas of your life are you tempted to rival God as opposed to reflecting Him?
3. Make a list of what all is God’s (everything…) What does it mean to live life with everything?
4. What do you need to do to be available for whatever God is calling you to do?

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