Alive to God's Goodness

Have you ever felt fully alive to the world around you: the brilliant colors of the blue sky and the crisp green leaves on the trees, alive to the people around you: the richness of their humor, creativity, and friendship, and alive to God’s presence and love that make life joyful.

Jesus teaches us many times in the gospels that God’s intent for us is that every area of our lives be transformed. God wants us to have peace through restoration and forgiveness, healing and resurrection, a place in His family, a transformed world, a new creation. Salvation is so good because it offers humanity a vision of life as it was intended to be lived. Life characterized shalom (peace/wholeness) among peoples and between creation and its Creator.

Our task as followers of Jesus is to remember and rediscover the goodness and richness of the gospel message for our own lives (the story of God achieving salvation for us in Christ) and to share its blessings with others. When we do this we will be able to echo the words of Paul: “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us…He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus” (2 Cor. 4:7, 14, NRSV). The next time you notice the beauty of God’s creation or the kindness of the people around you, consider the goodness of God’s salvation in Christ poured out on you. May Christ inspire our living and give us peace.