Good and Beautiful Community | Friday | 10/2

Become Good and Beautiful

Genesis 1:31

God saw everything he had made: it was supremely good.

There was evening and there was morning: the sixth day.

Revelation 21:1–5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “Look! God’s dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” ⁵ Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look! I’m making all things new.” He also said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

The Bible gives us remarkable bookends.

At the beginning, God looks at creation and declares it “very good.”

At the end, John sees creation being made new in extravagant beauty.

God creates in goodness. God culminates all things in beauty.

And we live our lives somewhere between those two moments.    

That means our goal cannot simply be to construct an ideal life where we maximize pleasure, minimize pain, accomplish everything efficiently, and avoid people who make things difficult.

We are invited into something better.

Pursue the good.

Do something today simply because it is loving, gracious, generous, just, or kind—even if it costs you something.

And find beauty.

Make something beautiful. Listen to beautiful music. Cook a meal slowly. Walk somewhere beautiful. Sit with a painting. Spend unhurried time with someone you love.

Not because it is productive.

Because it is beautiful.

This is the kind of people Christ is forming us to become: people whose lives bear witness to the character of the God who is both good and beautiful.

Reflect: 

What is one good thing you can pursue today? What is one beautiful thing you can slow down enough to notice?

Pray: 

God, you are good and you are beautiful. Form your character within me. Give me courage to pursue goodness even when it costs me, and eyes to recognize beauty even when it accomplishes nothing. Make my life a reflection of you. Amen.