Knowing God: Experience & Love Him

The Goodness of God (Psalm 31:19)

Assured that all our Lord’s requests
and plans are good.

Paul J. Bucknell

Series Introduction| Knowing God | The Revelatory God | Goodness of God | Holiness of God

Goodness of God handout pdf | Video

Life Questions | Genesis 1 & Goodness | Other Scripture & Goodness | Two Worldviews of Self | Difficulties Believing | Satan's Tactics | Handling Evil | Power of Goodness | Psalms 31:9 | Distinctive of God's Goodness | Good, Evil and God | Study Questions & Projects

Self-esteem in Light of God's Goodness

Purpose: In this study we show how the world's view of self-esteem provides little help compared to understanding and believing in the goodness of God.

Let’s apply these concepts of goodness to the things we hear and believe about ourselves by comparing the world’s view of self with God’s view.

(1) Self-esteem

I believe in myself =>

I can do or be whatever I want.

Our world has popularized the concept of self-esteem. They rightly observe man commonly lacks confidence towards his abilities. They are said to have low self-esteem. They stress that each person should have high self-esteem, often by stressing the phrases hinting at some magical force that can empower them to be or do whatever they want.

As much as their hope to improve the lives of these individuals is good, there simply is no basis for such talk, at least from the world’s perspective. They simply have no basis to encourage such thinking.

More than often, this is where eastern mysticism creeps in, suggesting a world force fosters such power. Or in other cases, they depend upon a mystical evolutionary brilliance shining behind everyone’s special unique powers.

To be honest, this only works when people are doing well. If they do well, they think well of themselves. Unfortunately, they get rather prideful at the things they have accomplished. Our unique abilities as human beings do not originate from these mysterious forces, but from God Himself.

(2) God-trust

I believe in God’s goodness =>

He has wonderfully designed & equipped me to carry out His good purposes.

Genuine confidence is built up not from some false philosophy but from God’s goodness. He has told us that He has purposely and wonderfully designed human beings so that they might reflect God’s image and carry out the tasks He appoints for them. God’s Word clearly states this design and purpose.

Through Jesus and the new covenant, people can regain a relationship with God and again live by His power to carry out God’s good purposes. How marvelous that God has enabled man to carry out His purposes.

=> Examine: On what basis does the world tout self-esteem? On what basis can we believe in God’s goodness?

If we fail at doing something, we often come out of it feeling quite defeated. Do not try to stir oneself up through some pep talk, “I can do it.” Instead, confess your defeat, but recognize that God has designed all of us to do good. We seek Him to further work out His good purposes through our lives, though we have no clue how.

A Summary

God chiefly introduces Himself as being good. Something is wrong when we doubt that the Lord’s motivation toward His creatures are inferior or even evil.

Our confidence in life does not come from an imagined reservoir of potential (i.e. self-esteem) but in God’s goodness through which we can assume we are wonderfully designed, equipped and placed. When down and discouraged, we put our hope in Him who will marvelously carry out His goodness toward us.

We might have numerous unsolved questions about what happens in this world or in our personal lives, but we must not doubt God’s inherent inclination to kindly help (i.e. be good towards) His creatures. He is good!

Next page => Difficulties Believing in God’s Goodness

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=> Other reading

• For a deeper study on goodness: Goodness and Contentment

 

 

Biblical Foundations for Freedom ( BFF )

Rev. Paul J. Bucknell