Finding Delight in the Goodness of God

What does it mean to say that we worship a good God? And can we really believe in the goodness of God, in the midst of our sin, suffering, or heartache?

The Goodness of God

In The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W Tozer describes the goodness of God along with other divine attributes. He writes:

“The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men. He is tenderhearted and of quick sympathy, and His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By His nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes holy pleasure in the happiness of His people.”

The Knowledge of the Holy, p. 82

As Tozer also states, sin has radically disrupted our understanding of and relationship to God.  Instead of embracing his goodness and loving nature, we may fall back into our timid and self-conscious states due to years of constant rebellion. Many of us struggle with the idea of coming to a mighty, just God because of the weight and shame of past mistakes.  We may have a false picture of God, and live in a constant state of fear of his wrath or judgement.

Yet this is not an accurate, nor a Biblical way to live. For we are not bound by our mistakes or failures; our sin no longer holds us captive to an identity of darkness and defeat.

It is right for us to seek divine reconciliation, for we were made to live in a right relationship with our Lord. In the presence of our sin, may we not hold back from approaching God because of any negative ways we might think He sees us. We must be willing to set aside any faulty thoughts or opinions about Him, and shed this idea that He is unapproachable or angry at us for messing up.  

Well, how then does God actually see us?

Here, we must look at the man of Jesus, who told us, “whoever sees me sees him who sent me” (John 12:45).

As Tozer again writes,

“Christ walked with men on earth that He might show them what God is like and make known the true nature of God to a race that had wrong ideas about Him. This was only one of the things He did while here in the flesh, but this He did with beautiful perfection.

From Him we learn how God acts towards people. The hypocritical, the basically insincere, will find Him cold and aloof, as they once found Jesus; but the penitent will find Him merciful; the self-condemned will find Him generous and kind. To the frightened He is friendly, to the poor in spirit He is forgiving, to the ignorant, considerate; the the weak, gentle; to the stranger, hospitable.”

The Knowledge of the Holy, p. 84

Rather than some sort of rigid, demanding, cold figure pointing a finger at us in the sky, God comes to us through a man who embodied such grace, love, and compassion towards his people.

Jesus again shows us, that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:17).

He calls us to rest in his goodness and presence: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Through Jesus, we learn how God truly acts towards His people.

May we continue to acknowledge and appreciate God’s greatness and holiness in our lives, which will and should move us into a life of obedience and accountability. Yet in this place, may we also turn away from false ideas about how God might sees us. As Tozer sums it up:

“The greatness of God rouses fear within us, but His goodness encourages us not to be afraid of Him. To fear and not be afraid – that is the paradox of faith.”