Put Good In

As far back as I can remember, I've been captivated by words. I love how words can be woven together to create poetry, songs, and stories that resonate deep within my soul and offer profound lessons. When writing, one of my favorite tools to use is a thesaurus. It's exciting to exchange my go-to words with synonyms that reveal a facet of meaning I'm grasping at but can't quite express with my limited vocabulary.

Did you know the word thesaurus originates from the Greek word thesauros meaning "treasure" or "storehouse". I discovered this the other day as I was studying Luke 6:44-45.

Luke 6:44-45

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

The word treasure in this verse is derived from the Greek term thesauros. This term encompasses not only treasure but also signifies the place where goods and precious items are gathered.

In other words, our hearts are thesauruses brimming with either good or evil. What we store in our hearts is what we draw from. The treasure that fills our hearts shapes the words we speak and guides how we live our lives.

When I read this scripture, this question came to my mind:

"Is my heart brimming with good treasure? Can I turn the pages of my "thesaurus" and find various facets of good that inform my words and actions?"

Let's consider Mary the mother of Jesus.

Luke 1-2

Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared to Mary and told her that she would conceive, have a son, name him Jesus and that his kingdom would last forever. What Gabriel revealed did indeed come true.

After Mary gave birth to Jesus, scripture tells us that an angel appeared to shepherds in a field and declared, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

As soon as the angels departed, the Shepherds quickly journeyed to Bethlehem, where they discovered Mary and Joseph, and baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. They eagerly shared with Mary, Joseph, and anyone willing to listen what the angel had proclaimed about Jesus.

Then, check this out.

Luke makes a distinction between Mary and all the other people who heard the good news the Shepherds delivered: "And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart."

The people were amazed by what the Shepherds shared, but Mary preserved the words by reflecting on them with depth and attention. Mary thoughtfully considered the Shepherds' message, most likely combined it with the angel Gabriel's words, and cherished it in her heart. She didn't merely admire the words, she tucked them away like treasure to consider with thoroughness and care for her entire life. When Jesus was mocked, ridiculed, beaten, and eventually nailed to the cross, I wonder if Mary thumbed through the pages of her thesaurus and held the Shepherds' words close...a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:8 and I believe it speaks to this idea.

Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable ​— ​if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy ​— ​dwell on these things.

The things we intentionally and consistently meditate on will undoubtedly become part of the treasure in our hearts. Its easy to see and read about things that oppose what is good, true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable, but meditating on what is good takes intentionality, consistency and willingness to do so.

So, where do we look to find something praiseworthy to focus on?

First, and forever, we begin with Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection.

He is the only one who has embodied what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy, perfectly. How can we know this? He demonstrated this character in both his life and death. (I encourage you read through the Gospels and closely inspect the words and actions of Jesus)

Motivated by his deep love for us, even while we were sinners, God sent Jesus. Jesus chose to live on earth as a gentle, humble-hearted servant and willingly faced a criminal's death on the cross, enduring the full wrath of God for sins he did not commit. Those sins were ours. When we place our faith solely in him, our sins are fully forgiven. It is through him we are recognized as good by God, and in him we aspire to pursue good, articulate good, and do good.

The amazing thing about meditating on Jesus is we’ll never run out of good to gather and store in our hearts. Our thesauruses will be packed with words that describe how great he is. I often say to my children, "let's put truth in." We'll read the Bible together or I encourage them to read it on their own. In scripture, we discover from cover to cover the goodness of God showcased in His promised plan to send Jesus, the fulfillment of His plan through the completed work of Jesus, and our eternal inheritance in Jesus. As we dwell on Jesus' character the good treasure will continue to grow in our hearts for our entire lives.

Second, we look for ways Jesus is at work through the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

Like treasure hunters, we keep our eyes wide open for work in our lives and the lives of others that is a reflection of God's grace. Notice how Paul does this. Romans 1:8

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

Philippians 1:3, 5

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,...because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

Philemon 1:4-5

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints

Paul noticed the Holy Spirit's work in people's lives and he did two things about it. He thanked God and wrote it down in the letters he penned to the different churches. Whether verbally or by writing our thanks in a journal, thanking God for all the ways Jesus is at work through the Holy Spirit is a powerful way to deposit good in our hearts.

Third, we dedicate time to observing Jesus' creativity and intelligence in creation.

Genesis 1

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. (verse 31)

Have you ever watched in wonder as a butterfly emerged from its cocoon or inhaled the fragrance of a lilac bush at the start of summer? Have you sat on the edge of the vast sea and let the salty waves crash over your feet or collected snowflakes on your mitten and observed the stunning diversity of their shapes? Have you enjoyed the loyal company of a pet or counted shooting stars while lying in the cool grass?

God’s good design is all around us. Intentionally learning about all the variety of plants, animals, and different biomes God made, being in nature, and studying how the human body works are more ways we can deposit good in our hearts.

Jesus and his work are the valuable treasure that will yield the good mentioned in Luke 6:44-45.

The psalmist understood the crucial significance of depositing good into his heart and expressed it this way in Psalm 119:11, 15 and 16: I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

So today, I encourage you to read, meditate on and document what you learn about Jesus from scripture, and record both the significant and subtle ways you observe Jesus' goodness at work in the world. Take account of all the different ways Jesus is working to help you, your family, friends, and neighbors pursue, articulate, and do the kind of good that reflects his truth and character. Take time to observe his intelligent design in nature.

Fill your "thesaurus" with good today and everyday.

Sincerely, Amy