Read Textual Sermon from Joyce Meyer
The Fruit of Goodness
I've been working on a series on the fruit of the Spirit, and today I'm going to teach on the fruit of goodness.
Let me just say a word about goodness. We don't do good works to earn anything from God. We do them because of what He's already done for us and because of His goodness to us. It should cause us to want to be good to other people. But I think we all know that we have to resist selfishness because it's very easy to get selfish and self-centered and want more and more and more instead of helping others.
I think about things like the tornado that went through here and the damage to people's homes. If everybody would have given just a little something toward disaster relief, all those situations could be taken care of in short order. God's got enough of His people to solve any problem. We just have to remember to be generous givers.
Overcoming Evil with Good
Romans 12:21 says, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” That scripture has meant a lot to me. I believe that I've seen it manifest many times in my own life.
When somebody’s coming against you, when the devil’s coming against you, when life seems to be coming against you, the best way that you can defend yourself is not to get angry, impatient, or grouchy with other people, but to do good. Be a blessing to somebody else.
Ask God every day, “What can I do for somebody else today?” Be aggressive about it. Don’t wait until God has to work and work to get your attention. Get on the active side—ask Him who you can bless. He never fails to show me something. Sometimes it's just to contact somebody, tell them I miss them, send a word of encouragement, or say, “I appreciate you.”
Sometimes it involves something financial. Recently, Dave and I and another couple knew a woman whose teeth were absolutely terrible. She didn’t smile and often kept her hand over her mouth. When everyone started wearing masks, she loved it because it hid her teeth. This couple wanted to have her teeth fixed, but they couldn’t afford it, so they asked if we would help. We split the cost, and she got new teeth.
If you could see the difference in that woman, you would hardly believe it! That blessing gave us more joy than just looking at the money sitting there.
We all like to have money sitting in the bank because it makes us feel safe and secure. I’m not saying you shouldn’t save or that you have to fix everybody’s problem, but you need to be open. When a situation comes along that’s too much for you, don’t immediately write it off. Get a little more aggressive and contact a few other people.
Someone once did that for an elderly lady who couldn’t pay her property taxes. Her house was paid off, but she couldn’t keep up with the taxes. One gentleman wanted to help but couldn’t cover the full amount, so he called a few others, and they all chipped in. Together, they helped this widow keep her house.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. You reap what you sow. If you’re good to other people, God will work through others to be a blessing to you. But don’t do it just to get something back.
The Nature of True Goodness
There’s a true teaching that when you give, God will give back to you multiplied many times over. But that shouldn’t be the reason for giving. We should give to help someone and as a thank you to God for all He’s done in our lives.
The fruit of the Spirit is totally opposite of the fruit of the flesh. Galatians 5:22–23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.”
If we could all operate in those fruits, I believe Christians would have many opportunities to lead people to Christ. The loudest sermon you can preach is to be good to somebody who doesn’t deserve it.
Matthew 12:33 says, “Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good; or make a tree bad, and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.”
You will know them by their fruit. Hang out with people who produce good fruit. That doesn’t mean you should never be around unbelievers—you can be with them as long as you’re affecting them and they’re not infecting you.
Psalm 31:19 says, “Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men.”
No more closet Christianity! God blesses those who put their trust in Him before others. And Psalm 23:6 reminds us, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Seeing God’s Goodness
In Exodus 33:18–23, Moses said to God, “Show me Your glory.” And God replied, “I will make all My goodness pass before you.”
Moses couldn’t see God’s face, but he could see His back. That means sometimes when we’re in trouble, believing for God to deliver us, and we don’t see Him coming—we later realize, “That was God.”
You can’t always see Him coming, but you’ll know when He’s been there. As long as you believe, God will keep working.
When Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock twice, God said, “You did not believe Me to obey Me.” When we truly believe, obedience follows naturally.
We should always maintain a reverential fear and awe of God—not fear that He’ll harm us, but respect for His holiness and authority.
Waiting on God’s Goodness
The Bible says, “Only believe, and you will see the glory of God.” Satan wants to steal your faith while you’re waiting. But your answer is on the way.
Remember Daniel—he prayed and fasted for 21 days, and the angel told him, “From the first day you prayed, your answer was sent.”
So, keep believing. God is on His way.
Philippians 1:28–29 says, “Do not be frightened by your adversaries. Your constancy and fearlessness are a sign of their destruction and your salvation.”
We’ve been granted the privilege not only to believe but also to suffer for Christ’s sake. It’s hard to keep doing good when good things aren’t happening to you. But that’s part of our spiritual growth.
Isaiah 30:18 (Amplified) says, “And therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you... Blessed are all those who wait for Him.”
Waiting means expecting—expecting something good to happen at any moment.
God’s Kindness Leads to Repentance
God is good even when our situation is not. Do good to others because the goodness of God leads men to repentance.
I’ve often told the story of my parents. My father sexually abused me, and my mother knew but did nothing. Later in their lives, God asked me to care for them. At first, I thought, “That can’t be God.” But it was.
I believe it was one of the most powerful things I ever did against the enemy. My father eventually gave his heart to the Lord after three years of being good to him.
He told my husband, Dave, “You’ve never been anything but good to me, and most men would have killed me.” That’s the power of God’s goodness—it leads people to repentance.
Keep Doing Good
Don’t miss an opportunity to do good. Every day, opportunities pass by you to encourage or help someone—financially, emotionally, or even with kind words.
Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”
When we’re waiting on God, we don’t just trust Him—we trust God and do good.
Questions This Sermon Answers
- What is the true meaning of the fruit of goodness?
- How can doing good overcome evil?
- Why should we give and help others?
- How do we wait on God with faith and expectation?
- What does it mean to see God’s “goodness pass before us”?
- How does God’s goodness lead people to repentance?
- Why must we continue to do good even in difficult times?
