Text: Proverbs 22:1

Topic: Be a good person

Occasion: LBC Youth Service (20th March, 2021)

Pre-introduction: Good evening one and all! I really thank God for this given privilege to stand
before you all with the word of God. And also I extend my heartfelt thanks to Youth chairman
and everyone here for inviting me to share a few words.

Main Introduction: Everyone knows the word “good” and “bad” and I’m sure everyone likes
the word good over bad. Every sensible person wants to be known as a “good person”. Anyway
who wants to be called or known as a bad person? Even the worst person wants others to address
him as a good person. But to earn this title it doesn’t come automatically or overnight and it’s not
easy.
1. What is good? Why on earth everyone like the word good? Why the word good is so
attractive to everyone. The relevant meaning of a word “good” is morally right,
favourable, kind, helpful, etc.
Every community/people has a concept of good and everyone wants to be a good person.
But if we think about the concept of good, it is relative / subjective. What we think
something or someone good might be bad for others. Concerning, food, sports, etc. But
every society or culture has practice or values like respect, honesty, kindness, etc good
values of life.
2. Who is a good person?
Have you ever wonder why everyone wants to be a good person? And why we want to
become a good person? “It’s better to become a good person than famous person” –
Jenny Holzer (American neo-conceptual artist). What makes a person good? Physical
attractiveness, educated, family background, natural gift/talent, tall or short, Degree
holder, rich, poor, etc. But good people are not someone who is very rich, talented or
handsome but good person are someone who has good human values such as respect,
honesty, kindness, humility.

3. Criteria of a good person

A. Respect: we all want to be respected as much as we respect others. Respect is a
feeling of admiration for someone especially for their good qualities. Hussain
Nishah, “treat people the way you want to be treated. Talk to people the way you
want other to talk to. Respect is earned not given”. If you are respectful to others,
you posses one of the values of life that will make you a good person.
B. Honesty: who wants to make friend with someone who tells lies? We want to be a
friend with someone reliable, who speak the truth. Honesty means not hiding the truth
but telling the truth instead of lies. Thomas Jefferson, third president of USA once
said “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom”. As much as you want
other not to cheat on you, you should never cheat others. Honesty is sometime its
 painful but it’s rewarding. Benjamin Franklyn one of the founding father of USA
rightly said, “Honestly is the best policy”. You cannot called someone who beautiful
or handsome who tells lie a good person. You may not be the best looking person but
if you are honest person you have the value that makes you a good person.
C. Kindness: have you ever heard a kind person called by people bad? A kind
person is always praised and respected by everyone. Kindness “the quality of being
kind”. Eg: 1. Directing the path when someone is on the crossroad’ 2. Helping
someone who has fallen in slippery path.
We also want to be friend with someone who is humble. Humility is one of the
most important characters of a good person. “it was pride that change angels to
devils; but humility change the man into angels” – Saint Augustine

Conclusion & Application:

As I have said in the begging, to possess the quality of a good person is not easy. And it’s
very difficult to build up but easy to break it down. Every people want to call a good person but
only few have it. As the Bible says in Romans 7:15, “I do not understand what I do. For what
I want to do I don’t do, but what I hate I do”
3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are working in the truth”