My daughter, Michelle, was lamenting to me not long ago that she was struggling with parenting lately.  Her precious 3 year old daughter is a very strong-willed and independent only child.  Each evening, within 30 minutes of arriving home from work, Michelle was having to discipline her for misbehavior.  She said, "It's like she will keep on and on until I finally get enough and spank.  I HATE it." Michelle uses other forms of discipline with little Emberlea, but it was like Emberlea was insisting on a spanking.  We talked about what the two of them did after the spanking:  the time for Emberlea to think about her "sin" and be repentant, about the talk between the two of them regarding the wrongdoing, and about the affirmations of love and affection afterwards.  Yes, Michelle admitted that she was doing all of those things.  I reminded her that Emberlea was just checking her boundaries to make sure they were still in place.  "You are doing what you must do.  You are being a good mother, no matter how it feels.  Welcome to the fun part of parenting!"  I told her.  That example came back to me today as I was studying a couple of the fruits of the Spirit:  kindness and goodness. 

"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law."  Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

Kindness and goodness:  two of the fruits of the Spirit that seem almost the same to us.  Actually, they seem kind of wimpy, don't they?  We think of a fairy tale-type persona exhibiting all those fruits, dancing around singing with the birds.  Yet, Yeshua, the one who was tormented and suffered the heinous death of crucifixion, embodied those characteristics perfectly.   And, He certainly didn't spend his day dancing around with birds and singing!  Here is a perfect example from His life.  Do you remember when Yeshua called the scribes and Pharisees tombs? 

”Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean."  Matthew 23:27  NIV

That doesn't seem very good or kind, according to our definition, does it?  A look at the two fruits is in order.  Kindness is the word "chrestotes" and means "tender concern for others" or "to treat others gently".  That is kind of what we expected, isn't it?  When Yeshua healed, or gathered the children to Him, or asked John to care for His mother, it was a perfect example of kindness -- of "chrestotes".  But, goodness is another word entirely!  It is the Greek word "agathosune" and is expressed in active good.  "Agathosune does not spare sharpness and rebuke to cause good in others.  A person may display his agathosune, his zeal for goodness and truth, in rebuking, correcting, or chastising."  (This is a statement from The Complete Word Study Dictionary:  New Testament.)  Ahhh, therein lies the difference.  Yeshua was showing goodness toward the Pharisees, hoping they would see the Truth and repent when he chastised them.  He had in mind their ultimate good.  Very different from what we consider goodness, isn't it?  Kind of like I was sharing with you the other day ... I don't think we have quite the same mindset that God does on goodness.  Now we know why!  Goodness isn't always good for the moment, but is concerned with the ultimate good of the individuals involved! 

Father God, thank You for enlightening me to understand more of Your Word each day.  I appreciate growing in You.  I always thought for one to exhibit goodness was ... well, kind of mealy mouthed.  Forgive me, Father.  Feel free to use Your goodness in me.  I choose to open myself to You ... to be receptive to You.  You are truly kind AND good.  I trust You in my life.  You are truly good all the time.  I worship You.  In the Name of Yeshua.  Amen.