Build Up Goodness

“Building others up” means understanding and accepting others with a broad mind like the sea as it is written in the Teachings of Mother. There are many teachings on virtue or goodness in the Bible. It is because goodness is one of the most important virtues that the people, who have been called to display the glory of Heavenly Mother to the whole world, must possess.

Since we are the children of Zion, we ought to honor God with all our heart, mind and strength, keeping the laws of God. When doing all these things, we must add goodness or virtue to them. This is what God wants us to do. Following this will of God, let us engrave in our hearts the words of God, “Build up virtue,” and take some time to reflect upon the path of faith which we have been constantly running out of breath.

Goodness is superior to wisdom or dignity

In the Chosun Dynasty (Korea’s last dynasty), there was a man named Song Dong-chun, who was a well-known statesman. When he was ten years old, an elder of his family asked him some questions to see how smart and wise he was. The first question was: “What’s the difference among the following three expressions—dare not to deceive, have no heart to deceive, and be unable to deceive?” The young Song Dong-chun answered as follows:

“No one dares to deceive a person with stern dignity because he is afraid of cheating him. No one has the heart to deceive a gentle person because his heart is touched by him. And no one is able to deceive a wise person because he is overwhelmed by his brilliant wisdom.”

After hearing his answer, the elder asked him again, “Which of the three is the best?” For the second question, Song Dong-chun replied, “The best person is the one who doesn’t have the heart to deceive.”

“As for the one who doesn’t have the heart to deceive, the mind itself to deceive the gentle man disappears because of his goodness. That’s why he is the best person. In the case of the one who is unable to deceive, his wisdom does not surpass that of the wise man, so he is unable to deceive him. That’s why he is the second-best person. Lastly, as for the one who does not dare to deceive, the reason he can’t deceive the man of dignity is because of his status or authority. That’s why the last one is inferior to the aforementioned ones.”

Thus, goodness is the best of the virtues that humans should have. From ancient times, our forefathers have given us a lesson that we should build up goodness and humble ourselves to become virtuous and upright human beings. God also gives us the same kind of teaching through the Bible.

Let us make every effort to build up goodness

Through the Bible, God has taught us to “do what leads to mutual edification” and to “consider others better than ourselves.” Since we have been called to become a royal priesthood in the kingdom of God, each of us should make every effort to be a virtuous person, considering others better than ourselves, according to God’s teaching.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.Ro 14:17-19

The Bible says that anyone who serves God makes every effort to do what leads to peace and edification. While living in this world, sometimes we unknowingly indulge in the trend of selfishness and forget the customs of the kingdom of God. However, we are the people who serve God, so we should continue to keep the customs of God’s kingdom and preach the teachings of God to the whole world. As God’s people, who will return to the kingdom of heaven filled with beauty, peace, joy, eternal life and hope, we must not forget the customs of God. The customs of God’s kingdom include the practice of striving for peace and doing what leads to mutual edification. This is the duty we must fulfill as citizens of heaven.

Most people, when they hear the word “hometown,” think of their “mother” first. They each have their parents—their father and mother—in their hometown. However, it is their mother that comes to their mind first, along with the memories of their hometown. It is probably because the goodness of “mother,” who embraces all her children warmly with love and careful consideration, touches their hearts more deeply than the authority or dignity of “father.”

God teaches us that we, God’s people, should give first priority to building others up. The spiritual virtues we must possess will be built up naturally when we consider others better than ourselves, serve them and treat them considerately.

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.Ro 15:1-2

We should examine ourselves whether or not we have done good and tried to build up virtue in our family and society as well, according to the teachings of God. It is important to keep on running forward, and it is also good and necessary to look back on our past life sometimes. ‘How much good have I done for my family, neighbors, brothers and sisters of Zion? How hard have I tried to repay Heavenly Father and Mother for Their grace and sacrifice to save me?’ Thus, we need to continuously reflect upon ourselves. American Indians, when riding a horse, stop after some distance and look back for a while because they are worried that their souls may not be able to catch up with their bodies moving so fast. So, they wait for some time until their souls catch up with their bodies. Time flies like an arrow, and our lives are so busy and fast-paced. We, too, need to stop for a while and have time to look back on the things we’ve done.

When we look back over the past, there are things that we should have done as children of God and duties that we should have done as human beings.

If we have neglected to put into practice God’s gracious teachings, just reading and hearing them, it is not too late to start now. For the rest of our lives on this earth, let us extend goodness to our family, neighbors, brothers and sisters in the faith, and to all our acquaintances, according to God’s word.

It is not so difficult to build up goodness. Let us start with something small. How about writing a short letter to those whom we’ve not seen or kept in touch with for a long time? Practicing goodness is not a big deal. If we start with a small step, we will surely be able to live just as God has taught us to “please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.” Although the world is getting tough and people are becoming more selfish, we the people of Zion, who believe in God, should all be truly virtuous people.

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall.2 Pe 1:4-10

God teaches us to add goodness to our faith. He says that it is not only important to have faith, but also to add goodness to our faith, so we may participate in the divine nature, and that if we don’t do these things, we are spiritually blind. What will happen if a blind man leads a blind man?

It is very important to practice goodness. People in the world regard as foolish the person who does good, concedes to others and humbles himself, and rather consider it good to advertise themselves a lot and boast or show off to others. However, it is not a teaching of God at all. God tells us to add goodness to our faith. God is the greatest teacher, and His teachings are superior to anything devised by man. Therefore, we should not compromise with the reality of the world or become contaminated by secular things according to worldly teachings, but make every effort to build up virtue in accordance with the teachings of God who grants us eternal things.

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy … She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.Pr 31:20-30

There are numerous virtues in the world, but the Bible says that the best and most praiseworthy virtue is the fear of God. Each of us, too, should be a virtuous person like the woman stated in the above verse. If we have been running forward without looking around, from now on let us pay attention to people around us and share God’s goodness with them, so that the light of the glory of God will shine forth all the more.

No matter how hard the devil, our enemy, tries to slander the truth using all kinds of false evidence, the truth never fails but always triumphs. The truth also has its followers for sure. People in this world put invisible fences around Zion using all kinds of evil and slandering remarks and try to hinder us from coming to Zion. However, if we participate in the divine nature by following God’s teachings fully and arming ourselves with God’s words of truth, nobody in the world can cover the light of glory of God.

If we do good according to God’s teachings, our family and neighbors will see our good deeds, repent and come to Zion. Then, when they enter heaven together with us, they will be very thankful to us. So the Bible tells us that the best virtue is goodness from a gracious heart to fear God, not a beautiful appearance.

Set your hearts on things above

In order to become truly virtuous people, we should set our hearts on things above—things in heaven. When we long for the heavenly things, we will naturally become virtuous.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God … Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.Col 3:1-10

The Bible shows that we should set our minds on things above, not on earthly things, to build up goodness. When we enter the heavenly kingdom, we have to leave all earthly things behind. Numerous heroes, sages, wise men, and philosophers appeared and passed away in this world, but none of them could take anything with them when they left the earth.

That’s why the Bible teaches us to set our hearts what is in heaven. It doesn’t mean that we should neglect our physical lives. We also need to live our earthly lives faithfully, because there is also God’s specific will for our lives on this earth. However, if we only pursue earthly things, forgetting about things in heaven, we come to lose balance in our spiritual and physical lives.

Before knowing God, we had lived according to our earthly nature.

However, we have now met God. So, we must take off our old ways of thinking and living, which we had before we knew God, and put on the new self. Changing in this way is building up goodness in God. Taking off our old self and putting on the new self, let us be transformed into the virtuous people from the ones we used to be before we believed in God, and deliver the righteous teachings of Heavenly Father and Mother to all people around us.

Goodness moves the heart

The reason we must make every effort to build up goodness is to prevent ourselves from being influenced by this ungodly world. When we make efforts to build up virtue and resemble God’s nature, we can please Heavenly Father and Mother and glorify Them as Their children.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.2 Ti 3:1-5

This generation is selfish and loveless, and the world is getting more and more tough. God tells us not to conform to the pattern of this world but to turn away from those who have a form of godliness but deny its power. This is why we should make every effort to build up goodness.

In the Analects of Confucius there is a wise saying as follows: “If you are virtuous, you will not be lonely. You will always have friends.” When we pay attention to God’s teachings and try to follow them, many people around us will be touched and come to the way of salvation.

Dignity, authority, knowledge or wisdom cannot move a person’s heart.

It is only goodness and love that can touch a soul. As the people of Zion, let us make every effort to build up goodness, always considering others better than ourselves, as God has taught us. Following the example of God, we shall all serve others and radiate the light of God’s glory brightly to all people around us, so that our lives may be filled with grace.