November 22, 2008

I was talking with a friend recently when they said,

“How do you really approach God?  I’ve been told alot of things, usually accompanied by the words if you don’t do it this way you are wrong.  Now I’m confused and I can’t even seem to find God correctly.”

Have you ever wondered that?  Have you ever been trying to find God based on the methods of others only to find yourself more lost than ever?  Have you ever found yourself questioning the silence of God?

If so you aren’t alone.  This is more common than most people realize.  So I want to repeat that fact, you are not alone.  I think in my writings I will be saying that alot, because it is important to know.  We share many of the problems we face with others, especially when we have convinced ourselves that we are the only one to have experienced them.

But on finding God “correctly”.  Anyone who says only ‘their way’ is the ‘right way’ is really confused on things.  God made us all different.  Unique.  And made us all different kinds of communicators.  So if God would go through all that effort, why would he then try to pigeon hole us into exactly one sort of method that may even work directly against the kind of person he made us?  He wouldn’t.  Approach God your way.  And no matter what way that is, it will be correct.  Because God will meet you.  The intent is more what matters than the method.  Even when the most we can do is meet him halfway.

I want to share with you one of my very favorite lessons I’ve ever learned about the Bible, because I feel it’s important everyone know this.

There’s a scene in the bible that’s very confusing thanks to English.  It’s after Jesus died, and rose and started making appearances again.  It goes like this in the New Canterrain Simplified Version.

(For those of you following along in your own Bibles, this is John 21 verses 15 through 17)

It’s confusing in English.  It leaves one wondering, why would Jesus have to ask so many times?  Wasn’t it clear the first time?  In truth my friend, no it wasn’t.  The language those two were speaking of has multiple words for love.  Phileo is one of them.  And it might be defined as a, loose form of conditional love, such as you might have for a close friend or acquaintance.  In everyday English  we’d probably use like instead of love for this word.  And another is Agapao.  Which is the kind of love you would have for a spouse, or a child, unconditional and deep.  They are on two different levels of meaning.   So keeping that in mind, the conversation actually went a little more like this.

Jesus brought Peter aside to talk with him personally.  And there he asked, “Peter, do you love me as you would your mother or you wife or you son?  Unconditionally?” (Do you Agapao me?)

And then Jesus asked, “Peter.  Do you love me.  Unconditionally.  As you would family.  As you would your brother.”  (Peter.. do you Agapao me?)

And Peter, probably all to happily, answered, “Yes Jesus, of course I love you as I would a friend!”  (Yes, Jesus, of course I Phileo you!)

Do you see what happened there?  Jesus was looking and hoping for an unconditional love.  A true commitment.  For Peter to come up to a certain level.  After all, Peter was his disciple.  Travelled with him for years.  Peter had been the first to recognize that Jesus was the Messiah.  Had had his feet washed by Jesus.  Had seen the man risen from the dead.  That’s not too much to ask right?

And he’s more than willing to do that with you.  If you are trying at all, then you are doing enough. And yes God is willing to meet you where you are at.  With your doubts, with your questions, with your fears, with everything you see as wrong with yourself.  Jesus cared about a man who denied knowing him when Jesus was at his worst moments.  With all you have been through and are going through God still cares about you.  And will still meet you where you are at.  You are exactly how God made you.  With a good dash of free choice that continues to make that base grow.  But your personality, your quirks, your leaning towards doing this, and not doing that, what makes you introverted or extroverted.. that was very much God’s doing, and for a reason.  And that means as long as you approach God as YOURSELF,  you are doing it exactly right.  And anyone who says different is fooling themselves.

I promise you that.  It doesn’t matter if you find God in art, or find him in prayer, or find him in tears.  It doesn’t matter if your path to speaking with him is one with many curves that seems to get you more lost.  If you are trying to approach God, that is enough.  If you approach him as yourself.  That is enough.  And I promise you God will meet you halfway for any part of the journey you just cant make on your own.  Just as Jesus dropped down to Phileo with Peter, God will meet you where you need him to.

You are not alone.  And if you are reading this today realizing you too have asked that question, then please realize as well, someone else has asked it too.  As humans we stumble.  As humans we fall.  As humans we face things all too often that we shouldn’t have to.  But you are not alone in that.  You are not alone in getting lost, trying to find your way.  I encourage you to continue to try and find God.  But don’t worry about the details.  The ‘correct way’.  Find God as yourself, and He will be there.

Do you have a question about faith or God?  Or do you need someone to say a prayer for you?  If so, please, feel free to email me.  canterrain(at)lifequill.com