GOOD!

It’s hard to be good. No matter how right, logical, encouraging, uplifting it is to do good– we cannot do so consistently. We act in the heat of the moment. We drown in the sudden gush of emotions. We are entangled in the cascading thoughts of suspicion, fear, and anxiety. And we are left dumbfounded by a moment turned bad by selfishness, or pride, or fear, or anxiety which we choose (by reflex or careless thought) to act on.

If only actions and words can be weighed in our heads in nanosecond-clarity before they are finally delivered. There will be less, if at all, regrettable spurs-of-the-moment and impulsive decisions. If we can see the consequences of our words and actions flash before our eyes while the present comes to a standstill, maybe we will choose silence and restraint over expression of our thoughts. Will we?

Sometimes, we know the consequences. But we choose to relieve the heartache, (de)pressing pain or the paranoid thought. We rather have a moment of comfort, so we ignore what lies ahead. We bank on trust, on second chances. What if there will be no more? We don’t think that. What if. Why not think that. Maybe it will be easier to be good.

We can only show what we have seen and experienced. But many times we forget: being understood when we don’t make sense.. receiving a smile when our lips our pursed.. being held tight when we are confused.. hugs of comfort.. punishment withheld.. a loving, softly spoken answer for our angry retort– words we heard, “words” we felt.. sincere guidance.. unconditional help.. sacrificial love.. forgiveness. From people, friends, family, and God. We can remember and be good. To people, friends, family.. by the grace of God. Let us remind each other. Better yet, let’s do and speak “good” to one another (Good job Ninang! 😬).. even if none seems to be deserved (at the moment 😊).

— bad-turned-Good Ninang thoughts
“..I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do… I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it…What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:16-25)
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-4)