Talk to me. Even if you think your concept to be minor or redundant, share anyway. Sometimes a spark of just one word or phrase will develop a chapter.
I came away from baseball camp wondering how people find God. With all of the distractions, how would you suggest to another how to find God? I'm looking for more than they ought to go to church.
Many of us were not raised in the church or a church. He found us...or we found Him...however it works. I see so many variations of people...habit, locale, disposition...who want to know God. What we churchers don't get is that such a search is an impossible task to many hearts. They don't know where to start.
Is there a way we could help?
If we were to write a book, say, How to Find God When You Don't Know Where to Look, what are some pointers God have given you that would help me help them?
I love such a challenge because God is so big this question can't be answered in five steps or eight pages. Yet we can join in on the watering and the planting which would lead to a God-given increase.
Ideas anyone?
4 comments:
I think that a realization about the commands of God is key to finding a closeness to him. When you begin to realize that God does not need your money, or your time, you realize that the reason we do what we do is because God meant it for our good. God turned our instincts upside down on us. I like the example of giving, God does not need your money, he is capable of funding his own work. But when you give till it hurts you find yourself surrounded in God's presence. Sometimes I am afraid to give money, or to talk to someone on the street. But the moment I step out in faith and do what God has asked of me I am filled with a rush of euphoria and it feels like God is standing beside me with his arm over me. Suddenly its so easy to understand Christ on his knees washing the feet of his disciples. Try putting yourself in that lowly servant position and you will feel lifted up here and now, not just in the next life as so many interpret it.
-Garrett-
How to find God? What a great question. For me, of course a friend invited me to church, but that isn't how God is 'found'. I just started talking to Him. I started with looking out of my windshield into the clouds, or talking to the clouds from my yard. I would talk myself to sleep hoping to find Him in my pillow. After many months of just 'talking' I started to feel different. My talks were different, they were more prayer-like. God began speaking back. Little notes to me that He was listening, that He was there, and that He knew I was on the way to meeting Him in the road. When people ask me how I found God, or say they don't know how to start because of sin, lack of knowledge and so on, I tell them that God is always the same; always there; He sees their interest and heart, just like He sees the sin that keeps them from Him. I tell them to just look up, if a physical acknowledgement of the action helps them better visualize the connection. Just say Hi. We are taught to start conversations with strangers with just a simple "Hello". God is no different; except even if we think He is a stranger, He is the most familiar person we've ever known.
Years ago, Landon Saunders came to OCC (maybe 1981) and he spoke to us. We were in awe and soaked in everything he said. My roommate stood in line for 30 minutes to ask him: How did you come to know God so well? Landon gave him a one word answer: People. My understanding and knowledge of God has been formed most by getting to know people who know God. People like Terry Rush.
I agree with Leah that the observation of nature is the best indicator of GOD. I am currently in South Africa and get to see the beauty, power and diversity that GOD has put in place. The power of simple observation can not be measured. It does require that we first take off any pre-conceived notions.
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