THE CROSSROADS OF GOODNESS

What does it mean to be a good person?

by sabrina tang

“You’re a good person.”

How does this statement make you feel? For me, it evokes a warm, albeit abashed feeling. Being complimented on a planned outfit for the day is flattering, of course, but being told I am a good person strikes a deeper chord within me; there’s something especially meaningful about being complimented on my character. Perhaps it’s the spontaneity of the moment that catches me off-guard, or maybe it’s the pool of positive connotations associated with the adjective that gives rise to thought. Still, I always find myself asking the speaker afterward: “What makes you say that?”

Because what does it really mean to be a good person?

The meaning of good is about as fuzzy as the feeling it gives us. Does obeying the law make you good? Is it giving up your seat on the bus for a pregnant woman standing nearby? Is it pausing to purchase a warm cup of coffee for a homeless stranger on a particularly cold day? Or does it require a deeper emotion beyond kindness, one that asks us to forgive and even love those who sin against us?

For Christians, the answer is not as far away as it may seem. God Himself reveals His character to us and what kind of person He desires us to be through His word in the Bible. At times, Scripture dictates His standards of goodness: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. [1] Other times, He teaches us more subtly through the events of the Bible, such as through Jesus’s lifestyle, the Israelites’ disobedience and restoration, the faith of individuals like Gideon, or even Job’s turmoil. God has equipped us with all the tools we need to be “good people,” pleasing and faithful to God.

“God’s word in Scripture is abundant with answers to the crossroads we find ourselves in: it teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, and guides us closer to His will.”

When you think of a toolkit, the image of a dusty toolkit sitting in the back of your garage or behind some obscure shelf might come to mind. However, Scripture is different; Scripture is a toolkit we can carry and use in practical ways every day. Personally, when I am tempted to sin, I find strength in the knowledge that there is no temptation on earth we cannot bear when even sin is in God’s hands. [2] When frustration with family leaves me fuming and tight-lipped, Ephesians 4:26 reminds me to reconcile my anger by the end of the day; immediate reconciliation is difficult but meditating on God’s enduring love for me beforehand helps dampen the petty flames of anger. [3] Now, I must admit my success rate is far from 100%. No one can be consistently good. Yet God foresaw this long ago, which is precisely why He gifted us with Scripture. God’s word in Scripture is abundant with answers to the crossroads we find ourselves in: it teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, and guides us closer to His will. [4]

Nevertheless, whether consciously or unconsciously, many Christians feel that morality is founded elsewhere. According to a survey from 2014, 43% of Christians in the United States believe religion is a source of guidance on right versus wrong, whereas 41% of Christians believe it is common sense. The remaining 8%, 6%, and 2% belong to Christians who refer to philosophy, science, and “don’t know,” respectively. This even split in numbers may seem surface-level, but in fact, it reflects much about individuals’ faith. In the same survey, 90% of Christians who choose religion as their source of moral guidance are “absolutely certain” of their belief in God. Meanwhile, amongst Christians who use philosophy, common sense, or science as their moral guidance, this certainty of their belief in God ranges from 52-68%. [5]

These statistics demonstrate a common tendency to rely on our own standards of goodness over God’s standards of goodness and potentially, to believe in ourselves over God. This dependence on earthly tools of moral guidance arises as the line between Christian principles, such as God’s Ten Commandments, and society's standards of goodness grows increasingly blurred. Take, for instance, the commandments against murder and theft. [6] As sacred as they are, many of us have come to internalize them as simply common sense. Beyond these explicitly stated laws, our society shares many implicit values with Christianity. How often have we heard the phrase, “Treat others as you would treat yourself,” or a more lovely variation: “Love others as you love yourself.” [7] Kindness and respect for others are seen as virtues by Christians and non-Christians alike. Other cultural values like filial piety are also affirmed in Scripture. [8,9] Given that Christianity and society have overlapping values, as both children of God and humans molded by society, we must constantly pause and ask ourselves: for whose purpose do we do good things?

“Given that Christianity and society have overlapping values, as both children of God and humans molded by society, we must constantly pause and ask ourselves:
for whose purpose do we do good things?”

As a Christian, the answer may appear obvious: for God. However, human compasses of morality are independent of religion. Research has demonstrated that people are born with an innate sense of morality. Even before babies know about the existence of God, they possess a tendency toward prosocial behavior. [10, 11] Furthermore, in an interview of children from various religious backgrounds conducted by developmental psychologist Larry Nucci in 1993, most children agreed that stealing is wrong even if God were to allow stealing. [12] Thus, at the most basic level, our understanding of goodness is shaped by our innate temperament, the environment, role models around us, and social norms. And how can we be sure of the reasons people do good deeds? No one likes to admit to self-serving purposes, and reasons may vary by the individual and situation. Perhaps they are sharing their lecture notes because they want to impress someone, or maybe they are donating because of sincere heartbreak for those in need. The truth is that we will never know, but what scares me more is not knowing my own reasons. Am I helping an old woman carry her luggage because God calls me to, or because it is the “right” action to take in society? I still do not know.

Yet, I am a firm believer in intentionality. As Christians, I believe we should be kind because kindness is a part of God’s nature. We love because He loved us first. [13] Scripture tells us that being good and kind to others out of our own intentions can only take us so far. We will inevitably fall at some point because no one is inherently good other than God. [14,15] We are all sinners whose canvases are stained, and even with Jesus’s death and resurrection, we sin against God and others daily—oftentimes without even knowing.

Sinning is letting yourself be consumed by the anxiety of academia to the point of forgetting God, and letting a biting remark slip past your lips on days you are burnt out from studying. It is the subtle judgment crossing your mind about a stranger who bumps into you without apology, or soothing your guilt as a sinner by comparing yourself as “better” and “less sinful” than someone else. Forgiveness, too, does not come easily. We can say “I forgive you” or “it’s fine” a hundred times, but brainwashing through repetition does not ward off the ghost of grudges. Rather, giving over our frustrations to God in prayer and leaning on Him as our Rock does. God calls us to forgive those who sin against us, both because we sin against others daily and because Jesus did and would do the same. Jesus died for our sins on the cross not when we were loving and respectable, but when we were most shameful and reproachful. He loved us, a love so deep and wide that he prayed for those who humiliated him and treated him with disdain. Given how bountiful his love is for us, we ought to share the same love for our neighbors, friends and foes alike.

“However, whereas God’s goodness has been constant for eons as displayed in the Bible, our goodness is subject to change. ”

It is inevitable for philosophy, common sense, and science to contribute to our rationale—but I believe we should always pause to look for God’s perspective on a matter. Human laws are necessary for order, and we follow these laws because quite frankly, they are the laws and align with our standards for goodness. However, whereas God’s goodness has been constant for eons as displayed in the Bible, our goodness is subject to change.

According to a study by Stony Brook University, people change their moral values to benefit themselves. In the study, pairs of participants had to match in transcribing a paragraph to receive a monetary reward. The “Typist” transcribed three paragraphs, whereas the “Checker” transcribed one paragraph. Typists chose how the reward was divided: either by equality, 50% each, or by equity of work contribution, 75% for the Typist and 25% for the Checker. Researchers found that most Typists chose to divide by equity, thereby demonstrating self-interest in giving themselves more of the reward. Furthermore, when participants were asked to rate the morality and fairness of monetary division by equality versus equity, Typists believed equity was more moral and fair whereas Checkers rated equality as more moral and fair. In other words, each role believed the rule of monetary division that benefited themselves was more moral and fair. Yet, when researchers measured these ratings before and after the assignment of participants to roles, participants’ moral ratings changed in favor of the monetary division that gave them more money. [16] All it took was a shift in the reward one would receive to reverse his or her standard of morality and fairness. And so we see that as humans, we are fickle and swayed by self-interest; this is a fact that has been true since Adam and Eve, and one that remains true to this day.

“All it took was a shift in the reward one would receive to reverse his or her standard of morality and fairness. ”

“It is about obedience to God out of love for Him, not obedience to the law because the law says to do this or that, nor obedience to a morality shaped by our experiences.”

But the Christian faith assures that even sinful humans, with no foundation within themselves for righteousness, can find redemption. When Jesus died on the cross for us, he not only cleansed us of our sins but mediated the New Covenant between us and God: those who believe in God and do His will shall be saved and enter God’s kingdom of heaven. [17] Being a child of God goes beyond obeying laws for the sake of obedience or being a good citizen. It is about obedience to God out of love for Him, not obedience to the law because the law says to do this or that, nor obedience to a morality shaped by our experiences. God’s word in Scripture should be at the heart of each decision we make because His word is the only true foundation we can fall back on when everything else - our circumstances, our relationships, our thoughts - are shaken. When we find ourselves facing a crisis, we ought to ask ourselves not what we should do but what Jesus would do, and seek God’s counsel in prayer.

That is not to say that we will never make mistakes—in fact, we most definitely will, because being good is hard. Being good for a day is hard, let alone for a lifetime: only Jesus could accomplish this. Yet it is the God-centered intentionality of our actions that matters, and His grace has, is, and will always be extended to us. Choosing to accept, however, is something each individual must decide for him or herself; after all, even our innate sense of morality is God-given. Whose wisdom will you follow: your human wisdom, or God’s wisdom?

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