Getting to Know God

I've been re-reading Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love. He is a great writer, able to express clearly how much God loves us and how much we need God.

In thinking what a life that truly pursues God is, I've been trying to think about my connection to God like a relationship. For example, if I'm interested in getting to know someone as a friend or possible love interest, I'd do things like talk to them, listen to what they have to say, and find out what types of things they like and what the care about.

Unfortunately, as cliched as it may sound, I treat God like a Santa Claus type figure a lot of the time. Or as a friend that I don't really want to spend time with but feel obligated to in order to do the right thing. If I treated a friend the way I treat God, I would be mistreating them.

So I'm trying to reorient my view of connecting to God as "getting to know" God. If I was honest with myself I would say that while I do a lot of things "for" God, on a personal, one-to-one basis, I'm more of an acquaintance of God. He is like the CEO of a company that I work for, not a loving father figure. I'd like to start at this getting to know God by reading the Bible not because I feel obligated, but as a way to learn more about God and find out what He likes and cares about-- separate from all the Christian culture things that are filling up my life.

thankful

Feeling very thankful in recent days and weeks. I know that God provides, that He is faithful, that He is loving. Even if I'm not always happy every day, even if life isn't always picture perfect, I believe there is evidence in my life that God is there and that He cares.

God is faithful!



In the morning when I rise
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus

When I am alone
Give me Jesus

When I come to die
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus

forgiveness

Forgiveness and reconciliation is at the crux (pun intended) of the Christian faith. But what I've found is that I simply can't forgive myself and others-- it doesn't come easily and doesn't feel natural. The times that I have been able to forgive have taken blood, sweat, tears, and often the efforts of others to encourage and push me along in the process. And usually a lot of time.

What's often even harder is forgiving myself of things I know were wrong or I feel ashamed of. But I can't be God and stand in judgment on myself or others if I say I believe in Jesus and what the cross and resurrection stand for. Doing so gives power back to sin and Satan, and keeps my ears closed to how God is speaking into this world and my life.

I don't want to wallow in bitterness and anger for the rest of my life. If I'm to be like Jesus, to be like the Father, and to be a part of God's kingdom coming on this earth, I have to be a part of the forgiveness and reconciliation that I know He wants to be everywhere. I know God wants to end brokenness here, and I have to stop, raise my eyes up from the dirt, and ask Him for help.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV)

Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Romans 8:1-4 (ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

relentless and ever relenting

At a retreat last winter, the visiting speaker introduced a concept familiar to seminarians and mostly new to the rest of us. That in reading the Bible we can get to know the principles of God; that is, by observing the trends in how God acts and does throughout time, we can learn what He is like.

This may seem basic but it blew my mind in how I viewed reading the Bible. Instead of a set of moral lessons or takeaway points (which honestly isn't such an exciting prospect of study), the Bible became a series of snapshot stories of God interacting with His people-- together forming a portrait of who God is. God is a real Person.

 As I make my way through different parts of the Bible, I'm beginning to notice a few trends cropping up in the way God acts that show us His character:

1. God is relentless in pursuing His will. And His will often seems to be solely for men to know and recognize that He is God. He won't give up, and will go to great lengths to achieve this, even sometimes for the sake of individuals. In the book of Jonah, God bends the laws of nature to His will multiple times, all seemingly to try to bend Jonah's hard heart to have compassion on the Ninevites and tell them to get right with God.
2. God is ever relenting, capable of incredible degrees of forgiveness. This is often simply impossible for humans to comprehend or emulate by nature. I went to Sunday School most of my life, and knew of the story of the evil King Ahab of Israel and the prophet Elijah-- the showdown with all the 450 prophets of Baal. However, what I didn't know was that despite all Ahab's vileness, all the prophets he killed, all the ways he ignored God and worshiped pagan gods, when Elijah prophesied to Ahab that his family would be destroyed and all his descendants cut off, Ahab repented, put on sackcloth, and fasted (1 Kings 21). And what shocked me was that God relented. At least partially; He said that the judgment would be held off until Ahab's son was in power, not Ahab himself. I can't help but wonder what Elijah thought as he heard that from God. I know that I don't understand forgiveness and grace enough to get it. But God can do it. 

The kicker in all this is that Jesus tells us later to be "perfect, therefore, as your Father in heaven is perfect." These qualities that I read about God possessing, I must strive for in knowing God and wanting to be like God, if I can.

worrying

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. -- Matthew 6

I've always been a worrier. In fact the women on my mother's side of the family tend to be worrywarts... it may be a trait which I have unfortunately inherited.

Recently I've caught myself worrying more than usual about life circumstances, responsibilities I've taken on, or even things I'm afraid of happening. But reading this passage from Matthew reminds me that at its core, worrying is not simply thinking or brooding. Worrying demonstrates a simple lack of faith in God.

Placing complete trust in God, that His will will happen, even if it may not be exactly when or how I want, means that I give up any semblance of control over the future. Obviously it doesn't mean I stop working hard and just sit back passively. But worrying is not only impractical since it is not productive, but it is reflective of a disbelief that God is all-powerful. It also is self-centered, instead of placing God at the middle and striving to get there as well.

Ultimately I hope to stop worrying by looking towards God.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
-- Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Words & Music: Hel­en H. Lem­mel