Don't Be Good

[Quiddity]

The problem with being good is that you think that’s good enough. But being good is not good enough. Jesus Christ looked at the Scribes and Pharisees–who were very good and nice and respectable people and he said to his disciples, “You see them? You’ve got to be better than them.” In other words, their goodness wasn’t good enough.

If you think being good is good enough, you’re not good enough. The problem with being good is that it is putting the cart before the horse. We see people who are holy like Mother Teresa and we notice that she does good. She feeds hungry people and rescues babies from the trash heap. So we are inspired and we decide to be good too. So we get involved in the local soup kitchen and we busy ourselves helping the needy and that’s all well and good, but we forget that before Mother Teresa went out on the streets she spent an hour in contemplative prayer. She was more than good. She was holy.

Don’t Be Good

This doesn't even bring into the equation any relativistic issues one happens to encounter or what "good" is in the first place.

 

[savagewind]

I also think along similar lines as the blogger Fr. Dwight Longenecker does. I will draw a picture of how I see it.
I am a servant of my master. He is the one who administers the work program that I am to accomplish each day. If I ignore my to do list that is provided by my master to go do the things on another list of things to do, am I doing the will of my master? No I am not. The things I decide to do for another master who is not my own might even be bigger and better good works than I got from my master to do. Am I being good?

 

[Quiddity]

I would just refrain from saying there is something better. I mean, if we are doing the will of our Lord, can there really be something better?

 

[savagewind]

I would just refrain from saying there is something better. I mean, if we are doing the will of our Lord, can there really be something better?

No. I agree with you there. Do you think that is what he meant? It is harsh. I tend to view the soft side of people. If he was really saying there is something better than good I suggest he is saying there is a better way. And I agree. There is.

 

[Quiddity]

No. I agree with you there. Do you think that is what he meant? It is harsh. I tend to view the soft side of people. If he was really saying there is something better than good I suggest he is saying there is a better way. And I agree. There is.

Yes, I do think he is saying that. Does a flower try to be half a flower? Or just enough to survive? Perhaps it only desires to be a plant? And that is better to it. But no matter what, it was always destined to be a flower. In short, everything in the universe has its being not only from God but also toward God. So we can only find happiness and goodness in Him.

 

[savagewind]

Yes, I do think he is saying that. Does a flower try to be half a flower? Or just enough to survive? Perhaps it only desires to be a plant? And that is better to it. But no matter what, it was always destined to be a flower. In short, everything in the universe has its being not only from God but also toward God. So we can only find happiness and goodness in Him.

OK. He, not you, is saying "we can only find happiness and goodness in Him". Is that right? That is not what I got out of the article. I think the article is about people who do good and by doing good believe God is pleased with them. The blogger is saying that is not necessarily true. To do the good works of God one must draw close to God by prayer. The works we do believing we are pleasing God must be God's works, not our own works. I trust people can find happiness and goodness apart from God, but it is not lasting. The works we do that are really God's will are everlasting.

 

[Quiddity]

OK. He, not you, is saying "we can only find happiness and goodness in Him". Is that right? That is not what I got out of the article. I think the article is about people who do good and by doing good believe God is pleased with them. The blogger is saying that is not necessarily true. To do the good works of God one must draw close to God by prayer. The works we do believing we are pleasing God must be God's works, not our own works. I trust people can find happiness and goodness apart from God, but it is not lasting. The works we do that are really God's will are everlasting.

Those were my words. I should have said it this way: "we can only find true happiness and goodness in Him".

We pretty much agree.