God Is the Greatest Good You’ll Ever Get

One of the biggest problems people encounter with prayer is finding the time. Our lives are so full of urgent requests and needs that we find it difficult to set aside time to spend with God. When we need help from God, all we can sometimes get out is a desperate cry.

The situation reminds me of a scene from The Incredibles. Frozone is at home when a robot starts wreaking havoc outside his apartment window. He quickly tries to get dressed to battle the droid, only to realize that he cannot find his supersuit.

He cries out to his wife for help. She wants time with him. All Frozone can see is that he needs to go help save the world. She is upset because he is not giving time to her.

The memorable exchange comes when he yells, “We’re talking about the greater good!” Her reply? “I am your WIFE. I’m the greatest good you’re ever gonna get!”

That scene makes me laugh, but it also reminds me of something important about our relationship with God.

What Can We Learn About God Here?

God wants to be wanted.

He will use anything and everything to get our attention. When our lives seem out of control and we desperately want God to intervene in our circumstances, we need to remember that God is not in a hurry. He can make anything happen. He can stop time, move mountains, and change people’s hearts.

He can also take care of the things we are afraid will be neglected while we spend time with Him. Will we trust Him?

Sometimes we approach prayer as though God is simply the answer to our problems. We have a need, so we go to God. We have a crisis, so we pray. We need direction, so we seek Him.

There is nothing wrong with bringing our needs to God. He invites us to do that. But what if we have missed something bigger? What if God Himself is the greatest good we could ever receive?

God Is the Greatest Good

Deep down, we need to start believing that God is good. He is not simply the One who gives us good things. He is the greatest good.

He loves us and wants to take care of us. He knows what is best for us. He is not annoyed when we come to Him. He is not waiting for us to get everything together before He welcomes us into His presence. We will never regret going to Him.

Sometimes we become so focused on what we want God to do that we forget that what we really need is God Himself. We can spend our prayer time asking God to change our circumstances, fix our relationships, provide for our needs, heal our hurts, or give us direction. Again, there is nothing wrong with asking. Jesus tells us to ask.

But prayer is more than getting something from God. Prayer is getting God.

Don’t Let Urgency Keep You From His Presence

Frozone’s problem was not that he wanted to save the world. That was a good thing. His problem was that he was so focused on the urgent need in front of him that he was neglecting the person right in front of him. We can do the same thing with God.

There will always be another problem to solve. Another person who needs prayer. Another decision to make. Another bill to pay. Another crisis that needs our attention. If we wait until everything is taken care of before we spend time with God, we may never get there.

God is not asking us to solve everything before we come to Him. I think He likes that we ask. But, more than that, He wants to spend time with us.

What Would Change If God Came First?

• What would happen if we stopped seeing time with God as something we have to squeeze into our schedule and started seeing it as the most valuable part of our day?
• What if prayer wasn’t another responsibility on our list, but an opportunity to be with the One who loves us most?
• What if we trusted that God could take care of the things we leave undone while we spend time with Him?

We say that God is good, but our schedules often reveal what we really believe. If we believe everything depends on us, we will always have a reason not to stop. But if we believe God is good, faithful, and able to take care of us, we can make time to just pray and enjoy His presence.

Make Time for the Greatest Good

God wants a relationship with you. He wants you to know His love. He wants you to experience His presence. He wants to speak with you, lead you, and enjoy you. You don’t have to wait until you have an emergency to talk with Him. You don’t have to come to God only when you need something.

Come because He is God and He loves you. Come because being with Him is the greatest good.

• So, what are some ways you can make sure to carve out time for God this week?