What Is Good

   “You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you.” (Micah 6: 8)

   In the movie “Cool Hand Luke”, Luke repeatedly escaped the prison camp where he was serving his term.  At one point the warden, wanting to make Luke an example, had intimidated him almost into servitude.  He pointed to Luke and told the others, “Luke wants to be good.”  I’ve always remembered that line because, in fact, Luke didn’t want to be good, he just wanted to escape and be free.

   Sometimes I think there is a bit of Luke in all of us.  We want to be good, but we don’t want it to interfere with our freedom.  We would prefer to seek our own enjoyment rather that live in the joy of God’s love.  We have come to believe that we know what is best for us and what is good; we choose our own path rather than God’s.

   Many of our political leaders feed that hunger within us, they tell us that we can get something for nothing.  Don’t worry about caring for yourself, the government will take care of you.  They try to tell us what is good for us while restricting God’s presence in the nation.  Most want to serve their own good, not God’s.

   Even our religious leaders sometimes follow this way.  They want to be seen as loving of all and accepting of all, thinking this is what God wants.  Yet God never hesitated to point out the many failures of the Israelites, inflicting punishment at times.  Jesus healed and forgave sinners but He also cautioned them to go and sin no more.  This is the example our priests and pastors need to follow.  Love the sinner but admonish us against our sins.

   God tells us what is necessary to be good.  Throughout scripture, in the lives of saints and the faithful we are given example in word and deed of what is good.  Instead we look to politicians, entertainment stars and news reporters, all of whom have an agenda of their own to push rather than God’s.  Turn off the outside world for a while each day and sit with God and His word.  God will tell us what is required of us, just give Him the chance.

   “Only to do the right and to love goodness, and walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah 6: 8)