“You don’t have the sense that God gave a goose!” Almost every time I made a mistake growing up, that’s what I heard. So, I started watching geese. I soon realized two things; I LOVE watching GEESE and geese are not stupid! I have spent many hours watching geese and have read a great deal about why they do what they do. As a pastor and army chaplain, I have learned some valuable “goose sense” lessons. I want to share some lessons and how they relate to our lives as believers in Jesus Christ.

GOOSE FACT #1: As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an “updraft” or “updraft” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” shape, it is estimated that the entire flock can fly 70% further than if each bird flew alone. A few years ago, as Cheri and I were driving from Maryland to Missouri, we observed hundreds of thousands of geese in flight! The estimate was 750,000 to 900,000 geese! The sky literally went black at noon with massive formations of geese for over ten miles as we drove! It was one of the most STUNNING sights we have ever witnessed! WOW! (Let me say it backwards – WOW!)

GOOSE SENSE LESSON #1: Christian believers share a sense of community and a common bond through Jesus Christ. With a VISION from God, we are able to achieve God’s goals for us much more easily when we “LIFT UP” one another and ride the momentum of our fellowship. “But you, Timothy, belong to God; so he runs away from all these bad things, and follows what is just and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and meekness. Fight the good fight for what we believe in. Hold fast to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.” (The Bible, 1 Timothy 6:11-12, Living New Testament). Good common sense means that people do good things for others.

GOOSE FACT #2: When a goose breaks out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying solo. He quickly returns to formation to harness the lifting power of the rest of the flock and avoid the gusts of wind from all the other flapping geese. Remember the scene in the movie “Top Gun” when Maverick and Goose (ironic, huh) got caught in the “jet wash” of their wingman and ended up crashing into the sea? It’s the same concept with geese.

GOOSE SENSE LESSON #2: There is so much more “drag and drag” in the world when we try to FLY alone! We should be willing to let others HELP “carry our load,” and we should be willing to HELP other people carry theirs! Learn how to do “Random Acts of Kindness” for others. Help an old lady put her purchases in the car. Rake your neighbor’s leaves. Bring dinner to someone who is sick. Offer to babysit a young couple’s children so they can go out at night. Give a restaurant gift certificate to your pastor and his wife. Our oldest daughter had just had twins in ND and we were getting ready to leave MO on our motorcycle when a couple from our church called and said she wanted to buy us plane tickets so we could get there sooner. I planned to say “no” because I was looking forward to the trip, and then he blurted out the “B” word at me. He said, “It would be a tremendous BLESSING for us if we were allowed to do this!” I had to accept then, because I learned a long time ago that “Being a blessing to someone else brings a Blessing to us.” Good common sense means spending good, quality time with other believers. Share Jesus with your loved ones so that your closest family and friends are other believers.

GOOSE FACT #3: When the lead goose doubles, it turns back into formation and another goose immediately flies to the lead position. All the geese, except the sick ones, take their turn at the front of the formation. No fuss, no debate, no arguing, they just do it! It’s part of being a goose!

OCA SENSE LESSON #3: The ministry of the Church does NOT belong to paid pastors. It is NOT just for Deacons and Elders. Every believer should participate in the ministries of the church. It pays to take turns doing difficult tasks and it’s good to share leadership responsibilities. Just like the geese, we are interdependent on the gifts and talents of others. Also, when our constant goal is for Jesus Christ to get the credit, praise, honor, and glory, it doesn’t matter WHO does the actual WORK! See Colossians 3:23-24. Every believer is a follower, a follower of Jesus Christ and his shepherds in the flock. But every believer is ALSO a leader, based on his spiritual gifts and talents, and it is imperative that he use those gifts and talents to do good things for the kingdom of God. Good common sense means that believers do good things for the kingdom of God and other pilgrims of the kingdom.

GOOSE FACT #4: All geese flying in formation “TOUCH” to encourage the geese ahead to “go ahead” towards the goal!

GOOSE SENSE LESSON #4: I IMPLORATE YOU to make sure ALL of your “THANKS” are ENCOURAGING in nature! For HEAVEN’S SAKE, for THE KINGDOM’S SAKE, EVERY time you talk TO or ABOUT someone else, be sure to ONLY say something GOOD, “EDITING”, CARING and ENCOURAGING! There is no place in the kingdom of God and there is no place in the life of the Christian for gossip, slander, negativism, “not-telling”, backbiting and tearing each other down! “Beloved, if God loved us like this, we too must love one another.” HORNS from GROWING congregations are encouraging and “uplifting”! GROWING congregations are JOYFULLY HAPPY congregations! Our individual and collective missions are “to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God.” (Romans 8:29). Let’s be HONKERS “CHEER UP” to each other for Jesus’ sake! Let’s say GOOD SENSE things to each other. Let’s say GOOD SENSE GOOSE things about each other. Good common sense means encouraging one another to “press on” to reach the prize goal of God’s upward calling in Jesus Christ!

GOOSE FACT #5: When a goose gets sick and can’t continue, two other geese leave formation and follow to help and protect it. They stay with him until he dies or can fly again. Then they dart in with another formation or catch up with their herd.

GOOSE SENSE LESSON #5: I am GLAD God has given believers “Goose Sense!” His word teaches us to support each other, both in difficult times and in good times. He teaches us to pick each other up when we fall. When relationships fail, when children rebel, when careers fall apart, when bad things happen to good people, when people die too soon, when trouble comes (and eventually comes to all of us), the Word God has a word for believers. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.” Verses 9-10 remind us: “Therefore let us not grow weary of doing good; for in due time we will reap, if we do not faint. So, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, and especially to those of the house of Faith”. Good common sense means sticking together through good times and bad, standing up for each other, and standing up for those less fortunate.

GOOSE FACT #6: A pair of geese will meet and mate for life. They live, travel and make babies together until one of them dies. Then the other goose will find another mate, and again mate for life.

GOOD SENSE GOOSE LESSON #6 Monogamous relationships just make GOOD SENSE GOOSE! First of all, this is how God planned it! (See Genesis 2-3). Second, it prevents a whole plethora of problems, including divorce, sexual sin, broken and blended families, financial burdens, child behavior problems, etc. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying these things don’t exist in monogamous relationships as well, but statistics show that they are more prevalent when people have been in multiple relationships. (And my 34 years of ministry have taught me that “the grass is NOT greener on the other side of the fence!”) It’s so nice to see the growing number of young people in our society choosing to remain abstinent and celibate until marriage – which is certainly a step in the right direction from my generation (being a teenager in the late 60’s/early 70’s during the height of the “sexual revolution”).If you or your young teens are interested, go to True Love Waits on the Internet Good common sense means waiting for the person you know God intends you to spend the rest of your life with, and then spending the rest of your life with that person!

In a nutshell, what does GOOD GOOSE SENSE LESSONS have to say to believers?

Love each other. Pray for each other. Encourage each other. Being next to each other. Lift each other up. Help each other up and out. Stand up with and for each other. Stay the course. Love each other. (I know, I already said it, but it needs to be said twice, right?)

I pray that all believers will hear and practice the lessons of the geese. Do you have the sense that God gave a goose? You do if you do things with GOOD SENSE to each other. They do if they do things with GOOD SENSE for each other. Use your GOOD GOOSE SENSE – you’ll be glad you did!

Danny Presswood, 2006, All rights reserved.