What is true goodness?

While driving to my office today, it struck me how often people get upset with God because they don’t receive what they pray for.

“God is supposed to be good,” they protest. “Why didn’t God give me what I asked for?”

I remembered what James in the Bible wrote, “You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss.” I interpret “to ask amiss” as asking for the wrong thing, or to request something that will not bring the right kind of benefit, at least not yet.

Two to three years after graduating from college and working on the family farm, I asked God to get me off the ranch into a different job. My request was not granted. I remained in place, and continued to fret, but also to grow spiritually. In later years, I realized my primary need at the time was not to get off the farm, but to learn larger lessons in life, for example to have more courage and confidence to stand up for what I knew was right. When I finally gained the confidence, and trust in God I needed, in this case, to leave the family business, I was able to exit with good effect. God was not going to let me leave the ranch unprepared for the next phase in my life, which was the Christian Science practice.

I’ve learned from similar experiences that the good we think we deserve may not be the good we most need. It pays to trust God’s plan.

God is a wise giver. The divine Provider gives what is in our best interest to receive at any given moment.

A trap many seekers fall into is identifying their good in a material way. For instance, in thinking they need a house, more money, a spouse, or a better skin condition. From surface glance, there is nothing wrong with having these things. But they are not the substance of good.

Good is God. God is Spirit. True goodness is spiritual.

It’s not a house that gives us home. It’s not money that makes us wealthy. It’s not another person that makes us complete. It’s not any condition on the body that makes us healthy. Divine Love provides the real substance of home, the riches of Life, a feeling of completeness, and enduring health.

All true goodness is spiritual coming from above and is first felt in the human experience as qualities of Love expressed. When our prayers are focused on seeking spiritual good, the sum and substance of God, rather than on material things, status or position, our prayers will be answered.

It’s a righteous prayer to seek spiritual mindedness and the things of Spirit.

The “prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

The prayer of the person seeking genuine spirituality will not be left wanting.