How do we know we are living the “good” life?

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Living the good life is a difficult concept to pinpoint because everyone has a different idea of what “good” means.  Yet, most agree that a good person is someone who is courageous, principled, honest, trustworthy, kind, thoughtful, selfless, and helpful.   He or she can be trusted to act this way in a dependable fashion. These people also exude joy!

When we live a good life, we not only practice good actions which guide our lives, but we always choose good acts.  And we do our best to avoid choosing evil when evil is presented.

For example, Fatima leaves the lunch table to take a phone call.  In her absence, a fellow worker makes critical comments about her Muslim religion.  Another fellow worker, a “good” person, gently challenges these comments, because he knows and believes, that as God loves him, God also loves Fatima. 

Jesus preaches that the way we treat others is the way we treat Him.  And we treat Jesus best, when our words and our deeds resemble what Jesus said and did. Difficult as it may seem, Jesus’ daily hope is for us to imitate Him in every situation we find ourselves.  When we fail in this hope, His kingdom ceases to grow, and evil can flourish.

Good people erase evil in the world when they stand for Christ wherever they are: where they shop, where they live, or where they work.  When good people witness for Christ in all these places, they spread the seeds of God’s goodness and clear away the weeds of disharmony.

When good people choose to accept the grace that keeps them growing in the right direction, they live for others, and in return, God takes care of them. Their joy is apparent!

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE MEANS:

·      Doing good for others;

·      Bringing God nearer and nearer;

·      Accepting grace so good can flourish;

·      Living with joy is apparent and infectious.