Good News, Really?

(Good News Series – Introduction)

By Lauren M.

“He preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ…” (Acts 8:12, ESV)

My mom used to keep a stack of paperback Bibles in the living room to give away to interested guests. I remember sitting on the couch one evening years ago and staring blankly at the pile of books on the coffee table. “Good News,” it was written on one of the Bible covers. I wondered vaguely why, if these Bibles contained such great news, they were still gathering dust in the sala* instead of now being in the hands of excited new owners who couldn’t wait to read them from cover to cover.

I thought of how, when I was still a grade school student, I would feel a sudden thrill whenever I heard an unexpected school announcement that started with the words “Walang pasok…”** [“No classes…”]. “Yeeees!” was my victory cry whenever I learned in advance that there would be no classes on a certain day because of some local holiday or event. My cousin and I even used to sing a special celebration song during such occasions.

Image courtesy of GeoWombats

I used to feel sort of guilty at times for being more excited about trivial day-to-day good news, such as unexpected days off from school, more than I was about the life-changing good news about Jesus Christ. Although I initially felt very happy when I first became a believer, I didn’t exactly feel like jumping or dancing in the years that followed when I thought about the gospel even though I still felt grateful for my salvation.

Thankfully, these past few years, I have begun, by God’s grace, to slowly understand that the good news is wonderful news, especially for people like me who have weaknesses and struggles. One of the reasons why I started this blog is to encourage myself to understand this truth better. And to remember this truth as well, because it’s so easy for me to forget. By starting this blog, I hope that one or two or maybe even more persons can also be encouraged by my self-reminders made public.

I know that most of you have probably heard of the gospel in one form or another. Does hearing about it make you so happy that you feel like treating other people to pizza (buy-one-take-one, of course!) or frozen yogurt? Does it bore you so much that you suddenly feel the need for a shot of espresso whenever someone talks about it? Or do you wish you felt more thrilled about the good news, because you sincerely believe in it, but you simply don’t feel that way?

I invite you to join me at Shepherd’s World as we virtually travel through time and space back to biblical times and beyond to search for clues why the good news about Jesus is the best news ever.

Notes:

*Sala – Tagalog for “living room”

**“Walang pasok” – Tagalog for “No classes”