I’ve been dealing with our purpose in life. I believe that deep in our core……… that purpose is to relate to God…….a God who is real and present in our lives.
But…….. how in the world do we go about it? In a way, today I shift from theory to practical application.
Here are some steps to consider:
Know God
Speak to God
Listen to God
Praise God
Step 1…….Know God
You may be surprised; but, this step has already begun. You were “hard wired” with some basic building blocks. These are things that you sense but cannot explain…….see last week’s post, part 2. (A sense of infinite time…..a sense that there is more to you than the physical). That sense, that is “written on your heart”, is a start. But, you need to build on it. “When in doubt read the instructions” is good advice. In this arena, the owner’s manual is the Bible……….it’s big and it can get a little thick. It is a bit intimidating. In fact only a minority of people who identify as Christians have ever read it cover to cover…….so you are not alone. There is no doubt that there are many committed atheists who have spent more time studying the bible than the average Christian. I use a smart phone app called “Bible in One Year” by Alpha Int. Each day there are 3 passages. It takes about 20 minutes a day. If that is too much, just read the new testament passage……maybe 6 minutes a day. If you find something interesting or confusing……… or troubling, Google it and head down the “rabbit hole”. Another tool to know God, is to find and attend a good church. Spend some time shopping around. For me, when church shopping, I find that about 1 church in 10 interests me. These tend to be the large “mega-churches”, but that may just be my style. If you don’t learn something and feel good after a visit……if you don’t feel love there, keep looking. Finally, seek out a “small group”. This is a group of 5 or 10 people with whom you are comfortable……. people who will share your joy……..and your pain. They will become like family. These are people who will love you and care for you right where you are. Same rule as the church………. if you don’t feel joy and love……… if you don’t feel safe……. move on.
Step 2…….Speak to God.
He really does want to hear from you……..every day. And don’t worry about bothering him………….he’ll be up late. This is prayer. You can use a memorized prayer. But, you’ll get more out of it if you treat it as a conversation where you can unburden yourself, the kind of conversation that you had with your Mom or Dad when you were young. You will get more out of it if you are completely honest………happy, mad, scared, hurt, in doubt……..it doesn’t matter. If you need something, ask……… he knows anyway.
Step 3……..Listen to God.
I suspect that none of us are very good at this. I know that I struggle with it. And no……….I don’t see a giant face in the clouds and hear a Charleton Heston voice. Sometimes, I get a sense of knowledge that is new to me. Often it is a gentle nudge to act. The key to “hearing God” is to allow a few minutes of quiet time each day…….and listen. I often sit down in a quiet peaceful place and begin with “Here I am”. Then I just shut up………and listen.
Step 4……..Praise God.
The fact is that God really doesn’t need your praise…….or mine for that matter. I’m sticking my neck out here…… but I suspect that God has a pretty solid self esteem. After all…….he is God. Still, I bet he’d like to hear a good word from you every now and then. Just as important, the praise is good for you. It is a reminder of the nature of your relationship with God. Your relationship with God is not a relationship of equals. God is not your personal “Gofer Guy”. Although you might think so if you listen to many Christians, myself included, giving God his daily “to do” list. Your job is not to critique God’s performance. Rather, your relationship with God is more like the ultimate parent-child relationship. Finally, praise is a way of evaluating how you are doing with steps 1-3. If you have no praise for God, then you may need to revisit Know, Speak, and Listen.
So……. there you have it………. a formula for building a relationship with a creator who is real, who loves you, and who wants a relationship……..with you. If you pursue it, if you pursue him, you will find joy, satisfaction, and peace……… commodities that can be hard to come by in our “modern”, “scientific”, “me centered” world.