Conversations with God

Everyone has seen the commercials asking for donations to feed starving children or news stories about war-torn countries. It’s almost everyone’s first reaction to look away, or even turn the channel. Why are those pictures so hard to see? Yes, we hate to see people hurting; but I think there’s more to it than that. In our society, we are conditioned not to hurt – really, not to feel at all, unless it’s a “good” feeling. If something or someone makes us feel the least bit sad, angry, guilty, or otherwise uncomfortable, we are taught to turn our attention to ourselves and do whatever it takes to feel better, even to the detriment of others. It has become almost natural for us to turn away when faced with someone else’s pain, whether it’s a medical crisis, the death of a child, or a failed marriage. The problem is, “protecting” ourselves this way does more than distance us from people. It limits how close we can get to God. Think about it: While God’s heart and eyes ar...

The Kingdom of God is backwards - at least to our "modern" thinking. Jesus taught that you must be last to be first and you must die to live. The Lord of all creation came to earth as an infant. The vengeful Warrior is also a loving Husband and merciful Father. Paul, one of the most powerful and impactful men in the Bible, considered himself to be the least of all people. As we walk with the Spirit, we learn we must be empty to be filled. And we must be filled to empty ourselves back out. We enter through the narrow gate, only to find ourselves in the widest possible place - the vastness of the Kingdom of God, which is continually on the increase. We continually strive to become smaller in order to hold more of Him. As we lower ourselves, He raises us up. We turn ourselves inside out before our Father, offering Him everything we are, and He reaches out to cover us. It doesn't always make sense to me, but I'm learning to accept that it's just how He...

Mail order brides (or husbands) are a familiar joke in the US. Most people couldn’t be paid enough to marry someone they never met. All the pictures, recommendations, or personal bios in the world can’t convince us we know the person well enough to spend our entire lives with them. We know we must actually meet the person before we commit our lives to them. Yet, if we have this much concern for a marriage, how is it that we are content to have others tell us about God without encountering Him ourselves?   Sermons and Bible-reading are essential parts of a life lived for God. But at the same time, if they are all you have, you are left in the same position as a mail-order spouse – you are trying to be committed to a Person you’ve never even really met. So many people – both in and out of the Church – look at Christianity as a bunch of rules of what you can’t do. I never had anyone tell me I could actually get to know God on a personal basis or talk to Him like a real person...