Mark 10:18 NKJV
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
I was out of town recently and caught myself conversing with my husband in an agitated manner. I thought to myself, “Why are you acting like this? You can do better.” And I realized that I was very tired and therefore irritable. I prayed, got myself together and apologized to my husband. I asked God for forgiveness for failing that test. When we are tired, we can become irritable and behave in a manner we thought we wouldn’t because we thought we had grown past that. What Jesus said to the young man in Mark 10:18 becomes clear at a time like this. I knew I needed some rest, but I was also reminded me that we’re not any good without God. He’s the only one who is good. When we are good, we are reflecting the character of God that is in us. When we seem to go backwards we’re showing what we are like outside of Him. Galatians 5:22 tells us that goodness is a fruit of the spirit. Jesus said that He is the Vine and we are the branches. Branches do not produce fruit. Branches bear the fruit that the vine produces. If we become detached from the Vine, the only fruit we can have is artificial fruit. We can glue on some fruit but it will not be the real thing. When we spend quality time with the Lord, when we charge ourselves up praying with the spirit, good fruit comes out automatically because we are sucking juice from the Vine. We don’t have to force it. We never advance to the point where we no longer need the Lord because we are good on our own. So let us rest and refresh ourselves physically, but let us also stay mindful of the importance of being refreshed in Christ continually for He is our goodness.