Gospel for God’s Children by Linda Shields:
“Be Good”
When I was a little girl, my mom say to me, (quite often), "Be good." When dropping me off at school, or a birthday party, or a friend's house, "be good." OK, I'll be good. (I'll try). Why all the warnings to be good? Of course, now that I'm older, I know the importance of self control and to follow rules, to "be good." We need rules, laws to have order and to keep us safe. We learn good manners, which show others respect and that we care for others. God knew that too and gave us laws to observe and follow.
"Be good," we try, but sometimes we fail, we "Goof." We forget our manners, we disregard rules, we think of ourselves first instead of others, we think "me, me, me" when we should be thinking, "others, others, others." What would be the right thing to-do? What would Jesus want me to do?
2 Peter chapter 1 verse 6, Peter tells us this, "Knowing God leads to self control. Self control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Verse 7 tells us Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. Verse 8 tells us the more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
So that is why mom kept telling me to, "Be good." She, being older, wiser, and more acquainted with the Lord than I was, knew the importance of being good and wanted to make sure I knew God's (and her) expectations of me. (Also, I knew the reckoning I would have to answer to if I didn't be good!)
So being good is actually beneficial to us. Being good helps us grow in the knowledge of Christ, and our love for others. Being good pleases God, and shows we love him and want to please him
1 John 2 verse 5 says, "But those who obey God's word really do love him. "
Let us thank God for rules to help us "be good."
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for rules to follow, to help us to be good and to please you so that we show your love to others, and to grow to be more like Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen
God Bless