anything good in me

Part of being a Christian, which I am, involves a recognition of some morality in life: good and bad, helpful and harmful, wise and foolish, kind and unkind, etc. I don't think these concepts are exclusive to Christians, but it seems like they get more air-time in the Christian community. Recognizing the good, the helpful, the wise and the kind elements within myself can be a very uplifting experience. After all, we all like to think well of ourselves, I know I do and I suspect it's a common desire. However, the recogntion of failures, selfishness, pridefulness, inconsideration, deceit, laziness, etc. prevents us from being able to honestly establish our sainthood. I'm constantly reminded of my weakness. I guess I'm like every other person, imperfect and predictably weak in several areas.

So, the challenge is to reconcile the truths and form a self-assessment. I'm good yet bad, kind yet selfish, wise yet weak. Why is it all there? What's significant about it?

My conclusion is this: I ought to be thankful to God for what good I can see in myself. Anything good in me has been planted, nourished and utilized by God. Recognizing the good in my life or my character isn't an invitation to gloat or take a bow, rather it's a time to thank the Lord for giving me the opportunties and the Spirit to develop some goodness. I know enough about my tendencies to safely conclude that if I found myself in difficult circumstances (filthy rich like an athlete, fawned over by thousands of women like a rock star, raised in a household of drug-use, etc.) I could be filling my life with actions that are ultimately harmful, foolish, unkind and selfish. I'm sure I'll always find ways to make mistakes, but the real story is how anything good in me ever actually grows to fruition. I choose to thank Him who is good for sharing some.