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ALONE WITH GOD
EXCERPT


From Alone with God

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

There is a sacredness locked up within your human personality--a holy aspect that is as much a part of you as are your eyes or your hair. Even though you are fallen, even though you sin, you still bear a sacred image or "reflection" of God within your body and your soul. This image is made all the more sacred because it is unique. You reflect God's image in a particular way that no one else, in times past or present, could ever duplicate. And once you are gone, that unique reflection of God will die with you. No one will ever be able to re-create it again.

Of course, on some level we all recognize this sacredness about ourselves. It's what tells us that every life is precious, that no one should be treated unjustly, that every soul deserves respect. But though we see the sacredness of life in others, we often struggle most to believe this sacredness resides within our own hearts as well. For though we are sacred, we are also fallen. And we've spent years watching ourselves treat others in horrible ways and feeling the sting of being repeatedly treated as less than sacred ourselves. Over time we convince our hearts that we are not so special after all. There is nothing sacred about us.

This is a lie. Despite the Fall, despite the sins you have committed, despite the sins committed against you, there remains something sacred about you. There is something beautiful, something worthy of honor and respect. Something, perhaps, even worthy of awe. It is not you, exactly. It is Whom you reflect, and the unique way you reflect Him.
Therefore, no matter how many people misunderstand you, or attack you, or ignore you, or criticize you, you must always make the choice to revel in being yourself. To do anything less would be to deny the sacredness of your soul, and deny the world a reflection of God that it can see in no other way.

•••

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (Matthew 6:25)

Doesn't it seem strange that Jesus would command us to do something that at once seems not only impractical, but even impossible to obey? "How can I give no thought to what I will eat or drink? Should I expect my food and drink to magically appear on my table every meal? What about my bills? My clothing? My shelter? If I don't see to these things, who will?"

Of course, such an approach would be ridiculous. But the command does not say to ignore or give no thought to these basic needs of life. It says not to worry about them. More precisely, it commands us not to take on anxiety about them. Now Jesus' words take on a much more reasonable aspect. Yes, you should work hard. You should do all you can to provide for your needs. You should be a good steward of your resources. But in the midst of all this, you should not fall into worry about any of it.

"But what's wrong with worrying about things sometimes?" some might ask. "Isn't that just part of being human?" No, it's part of being carnal. Worry always stems from fear--fear that our needs will not be met, fear that someone will steal what we have, fear that we will not be successful in this endeavor or that. This sort of fear can never co-exist with faith. Faith says, "I will obey God. I will do my best at all times. But I never need to worry about anything. Instead, I will trust God, and enjoy my life."

"Be anxious for nothing…" Worry is sin. Never allow yourself to be lulled into thinking it is anything more acceptable than that.

•••

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12)

God rarely speaks to us in ways that are overbearing or obvious, but in ways that can be easily misunderstood. He speaks most often in a gentle whisper that forces us to stop and pay attention. "Was that God speaking, or was it just in my head?" God whispers in everything that touches our lives. Sadly, we're often too preoccupied to hear it, or, even worse, too savvy to accept it as anything more than circumstance.

"Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening…" God is speaking; it is we who must learn how to listen. Too often, we cry to God for bold sign from heaven--a voice of thunder accompanied by the appearance of angels or something equally loud and flashy. But all the while God is speaking in myriad ways around us, and we miss it entirely.

Once we begin the discipline of constantly saying from the heart, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening," life will take on new color and depth. Every day becomes a romance. The more we choose to be still and listen--and believe--the more we will be able to hear his voice. And the more we will realize that we never really needed the flashy signs from heaven after all. We needed only to believe.

•••

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. (2 Corinthians 5:14)

The word for "compel" in this passage means, "to be forced as a prisoner." Paul is saying that he has been taken prisoner by God's love, and that love now compels him to move in a particular direction.

You can always recognize people who have been taken prisoner by God's love. They move through life differently than the bulk of humanity; they stand out in bright colors against the common backdrop of gray. They are joyful folk--unruffled, unrushed, uncontrolled by the common pressures of life. Their countenance is obviously filled with the Holy Spirit.

It's not that they have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit. It's that the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on them. They are captive to him--meaning that they are continually captivated by him, above everything else.

The gateway to encountering God's love in this way is simple faith. And once you allow yourself to be captured, life becomes beautifully simple. Your every motivation stems from love--love is what lies before you, and love is what follows behind. You are caught in its flow. And love is what compels you toward accomplishing God's will.

Get in the habit of praying each day for God's love to capture your heart. Then take time to let yourself be captivated by the demonstrations of God's love all around you. He is loving you all the time.