We all want good things in life. We want happiness, we want a steady job, we want deep friendships, we want healthy kids, we want good things. But is the old cliché true that you can have too much of a good thing?

Defining “A Good Thing”

We can’t answer the question without more fully defining… what is a “good thing”? What are you doing to get that “good thing”?

In the list above, we would probably all agree that happiness is good. We want to feel happy. But is it a “good thing” to pursue your own happiness at the expense of other people, perhaps stealing from the mall so that you can be happy when you use your new computer? Nope. We want healthy kids, but there is a raging debate about the pros and cons of childhood vaccinations… you may define “good thing” differently than your neighbor with this one.

Think about what you consider a good thing. Odds are, you want as much of it as possible! But are there times or places or ways where it may impact you beyond what you expect? Are there things you are willing or unwilling to do to seek out that good thing?

Only God is Good

“There is only One who is good,” Jesus says in Matthew 19. And in Mark 10 he asks people, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except God alone.” Indeed, God is the Good Thing that we all need and want – and thanks to the redemption and atonement of Jesus Christ, we can have as much of this Good Thing as we could ever want!

In this life, the answer is yes: it is always possible to have “too much of a good thing.” Every good thing that we enjoy will eventually fade away, whether it is the thing itself that dies or leaves, or our enjoyment of it that reduces over time. We should certainly enjoy good things while we have them, because they are gifts from God! But we cannot expect to enjoy it that way forever. And we must always realize that we are capable of pursuing the good things in this life in ways that are not good, and that we are capable of enjoying the good things in this life too much, at the exclusion of better or necessary things.

But of the real and true Good Thing? God himself? You can never have “too much” of this Good Thing! God is faithful. Jesus died for your sins – every single one – and He rose again and lives today, sitting at God’s right hand! He has taken your sin, but He hasn’t left you innocent, He has even given you his own righteousness. You are complete in Christ. We can never have too much of this goodness – of God’s presence, of God’s Word, of God’s comfort, of God’s promises.

If you are looking for more of this Good Thing – God himself – take some time to meditate on these Scripture passages:

• Psalm 119… reflect on his faithfulness, and the goodness we receive when we follow him
• Matthew 11:1-6… reflect on the good that Jesus did in his life
• Acts 10… reflect on the good news of the gospel and how it changes lives!
• Psalm 91… reflect on the Lord as your refuge and rescue
• Romans 8… reflect on the glory of God, who “works for the good of those who love him”
• Psalm 100… reflect on the joy of knowing God, and give him praise!