I’m Good

Have you ever said, “I’m good”?

It’s often said at restaurants. I’ve even said it myself. Usually it’s when a server asks, “Is there anything else you need?” And that’s when we reply, “I’m good.”

People used to say, “No thank you.” Maybe this means the same thing. Or close to it.

But what are we really saying?

It seems what we mean is “I’m fine. I don’t need anything else. You can leave me alone.”

Some cultures thrive on dependency. Having someone else attend to one’s needs is an honor. But modern Americans like to be left alone. We’re a self-sufficient, independent lot.

While this attitude may work in a restaurant, it can be devastating spiritually.

“Now hold on just a minute! How does the way we reply to a server affect us spiritually?”

It’s actually pretty simple. When we first hear about sin and our need for a savior, it can be troubling. But then we look around and notice many others worse than we are. We see hypocritical religious types and think, “I’m not THAT bad.”

So when we’re invited to trust in Christ’s death on the cross so our sin can be forgiven, we reply to God the same as to our server: “I’m good.”

But we’re dead wrong. And if we will listen, the Bible corrects our wrong thinking.

God says, “There is no one who does good, not even one.” The Bible adds that all of our good deeds are like filthy rags in God’s sight.

It warns us about commending ourselves. God says, “When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”

Why? Because Jesus said, “No one is good—except God alone.” And when we compare ourselves to a holy God, none of us can measure up!

If you’re still not convinced, get a Bible and read God’s standard for goodness in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). The only honest response to that list is “I’m ruined! No one could do that 100% of the time!”

And that’s the point--to help us realize we’re not so good and that we need help.

It’s only after we arrive at this conclusion that we can understand why Jesus came. He came to live the life we could not live and to provide a better way—a way that works for everyone.

Through Moses, God gave us a law that helps us discover our true nature as sinners. Through Jesus Christ, God gave us grace—the gift of forgiveness and salvation through faith in Christ.

When we follow Jesus, obey him and trust the God who raised him to give us eternal life, we become a new person. God changes us from the inside out.

The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Because of our faith in Christ, it is no longer our goodness (or lack of it) that God sees. It is Christ’s goodness. And so God accepts us because we are forgiven in Christ.

As someone has said, “Christians are not perfect, they’re just forgiven.” And the wonderful news is that God’s offer of forgiveness, mercy and grace is for everyone in the world!

Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says, “The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

Once you’ve done that, you can truthfully say, “I’m good!”

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

P.S. Check out the link to the left "Are You A Good Person?" and take The Good Test!