An Upgrade to the King

“They are not a good person.”

Regrettably, I have said these words on countless occasions. We all can probably admit we have let loose this phrase before. An atrocious criminal has committed a heinous act. They’re being showcased on the nightly news. We blurt this out in utter disgust. Or maybe something milder. Someone’s reputation isn’t the best. They’ve never personally wronged us, yet we find ourselves speaking this same statement about them.

Why do I say this?

I measure my “good” to their “good,” or sometimes their lack thereof. In my mind, I think, I would never do (insert action). They did. Therefore, they aren’t what I consider “good.” It’s typically a subconscious thought: My sin isn’t as unacceptable as their sin. Which subsequently makes me the standard of good. I’m the approved model.

Don’t get me wrong; there are awful people in this world. But to some degree, aren’t we all awful? Increasing my standard-size good (me) to a King-size good (God almighty), revealed something incredibly remarkable. There is only One who is truly good, and it’s not me.

This epiphany occurred while I was booking a hotel room online of all things. A curious thought crossed my mind as I was going about the room selection process. There are generally several options. That day I had two: a standard room, or I could upgrade to a king room.

A standard room is typically two double beds, while a king room is just as it says it is: a room with only a king-size bed. I’m not sure why this is, but a king room is considered an upgrade. They generally cost more.

This particular day, I wanted the upgrade. So I booked the king room.

As I hit “submit,” to finish the process, a peculiar thought crossed my mind. If I can upgrade to a king-size room, I can also upgrade to a King-size good.

I’m so quick to judge someone because I fail to upgrade from my standard to the King.

Jesus speaks this very thought to a rich young ruler in Matthew 19:17:

And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. (KJV)

Jesus, the perfect Son of God, corrects this young man in calling him “good.” Why is this?

I believe it’s a lesson for each of us to grasp hold of. Measuring good shouldn’t be based on a person. We need to upgrade our measure of good to a perfect Jesus. Only he is good.

The Hebrew word for good is agathos. It means “good in nature.” If we step back into the Garden of Eden for just a moment, we can understand the nature of our flesh. When the first act of sin took place, it changed the makeup of mankind from that moment forward. The fashion of our flesh was transformed in a moment from perfect to sin-filled, or good to no longer good.

But thanks be to God that wasn’t the end! We needed a Savior. One who could redeem us from our nature of sin. Knowing Jesus and inviting him into the depths of our hearts allows us to claim righteousness through him (2 Cor. 5:21). Even after that, the nature of our being (our flesh) contradicts the righteousness in us. Our flesh is not good. As a matter of fact, the Bible talks about a war constantly raging between our flesh and Spirit.

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Gal. 5:17 ESV)

The righteousness I have in Christ is a free gift from him. No matter how many good works I produce, I do could never earn it. However, when I peel back the goodness of Christ in me and evaluate myself, I realize my inherited flesh is no different than anyone else’s.

No matter what I think I am, the “good” works I’ve done, the righteousness I’ve received through Christ, or the “not so good” all around, the only One worthy to be called “good” is the King. This isn’t a call to depravity or a sense of defeat. If anything, it’s a declaration that in myself, I am nothing. But praise God that through him, I am redeemed! Allowing my mind to upgrade to a King-size good transformed not only my thoughts about myself but also my thoughts regarding the world around me.

Realizing my lack of good = humility.

The humility I learned in this simple, yet oh-so-powerful revelation revamped my way of thinking. Gaining humility has allowed me to pause before I judge someone else who sins differently than I do. In that pause, I’ve discovered the need to adjust my standard and upgrade to the King’s. As a result, I’m a lot less judgmental.

I’m a work in progress. I still struggle with being judgmental. The difference now is that before those words begin to cross my lips, my mind is ignited back to this powerful lesson. The days of blurting out judgment and punctuating it with a period are over. Because today, I halt that thought and remind myself outwardly with a substantial truth: only he is truly good. I’m so glad I got an upgrade to the King.

Erika Bailey is the founder and president of The Round Farmhouse Ministries. She and her husband, Travis, live in a round farmhouse in West Virginia with their four children. Erika loves to dig into God’s Word and make centuries-old texts applicable today. Through her writings, she hopes to teach you more about God’s Word, make you laugh, and possibly shed a tear or two (happy tears, of course). She prays that what she writes is relatable, encouraging, and brings you closer to the Lord as a result.

Photograph © Eduardo Barrios, used with permission