closer

There is no shortage of formula’s for getting close to God. If you do this or say that or go here or there, you’ll develop a relationship with your Maker.

Within many traditional churches, a number of predictable strategies are available. The recipe is usually something like “read your bible, pray, and go to church.” Such instruction is sometimes touted as a near guarantee of deeper spirituality.

The problem, however, is that these strategies often fall short in providing a pathway to God. It’s not that they are bad things; indeed, they are actually very good things . . . depending on what you mean by them and how you apply them. For instance the bible is a special book. We certainly need to pray. And being with like-minded people is a great thing.

Still, simply stating that we ought to follow some agenda does not ensure that actual growth will occur. Simply laying out some nice-sounding plan does not automatically produce growth. In fact, in my experience at least, it has often been true that the constant repetition of such formulas can actually deaden your soul and inhibit your growth. I’m not entirely sure why this is the case, but it’s something I’ve noticed.

Now, all of this got me to thinking about what I’ve observed in my own life. When have I sensed God’s presence? Where has God met me? In what places does God seem to show up? Obviously, I have no flawless formula, and I certainly don’t want to be guilty of simply exchanging the traditional list with my own list. Indeed, it’s not really about lists, per se, but about simply noticing some of the ways that God works . . . at least how he’s sometimes operated in my own life. Here are some things–in no particular order–that stand out to me.

✓ realize he’s already close to you

So many people are out “searching” for God around every corner. Maybe he’s at this church. Perhaps I can find him in a sunrise. Of course God can and does meet people at church and in sunrises. That’s not the point. What matters is that we come to the realization that he’s already here . . . wherever “here” happens to be. It’s not that searching is bad, of course, and it’s not that his presence is always immediately evident. All I’m saying is that, in a very real sense, he’s already with us. Theologians speak of God’s omniscience, his “everywhereness,” but too often we fail to recognize that a God who is near is just that, near.

✓ live like he’s near/with you

If God is actually near, a number of implications come to mind. Typically, when this subject is raised, the talk is about our accountability before God as we come to grips with the fact that he sees everything we say and do. Of course this is a useful and humbling truth and should not be neglected. What I’m getting at, though, is that God’s nearness means that he is actually involved in the nitty gritty of our lives. God isn’t trapped in any church, and he’s certainly not limited to our official gatherings. No, the near God is involved in every facet of our lives. He’s with us at work and as we travel in the car. He’s present in our families and through all of our relationships. If he’s near, we probably ought to allow his nearness to seep into the way we approach all of life.

✓ see him as a person you follow

God is not a concept, though we use concepts to describe him. He’s not a doctrine, though we seek to understand what we can about him. Helpful as these things can be, God is a personal being.

You know people. How do they interact? In what ways do they engage you? In some ways God is obviously different than any other person; he is an invisible, non-corporeal being, after all. But, at the same time, he is still a person (persons). As such, what should we expect of someone who is personal? How do people communicate? What matters to sentient beings? How is it that we relate to any person? I don’t have all of the answers to these questions, but I do think it’s worth asking them. Whatever else is true, God is here, and he is a personal being. Do you relate? Are your expectations shaped by what one would expect from a personal God?

All of this parallels what we find of Jesus and his ministry. Jesus didn’t teach Sunday School lessons or give dissertations on esoteric truth. Though he did many things, the primary responsibility of his followers was simple: Follow. We are to follow. Again, I’m not entirely clear what this means when we’re talking about a spirit being, but I know it means something.

✓ be relational and real

One of the things that has become increasingly evident to me is how we are created for community. That is, we are made to relate to others. This shouldn’t surprise us, of course, for God himself is a person, actually a plurality of three persons. From eternity God existed as a singular-plural (if we can use such terms), as a one-in-three and three-in-one God. If we are made in this God’s image, it makes sense that we would reflect this relational component. Indeed, it just might be–and I’ve personally found this to be the case–that the very process of relating properly to others provides a means of access to this same personal God. In other words–and I’m not sure how to describe this, exactly–as we relate to other human beings in God-honoring ways, God shows up. Perhaps, this is part of the reason why the two greatest commandments, according to Jesus, are to love God and our neighbor. There is this relationship component that best flows when we get closer to others.

✓ serve and sacrifice

On a related note, there is something to be said for the sheer act of serving others. When we reach out to others, when we give of ourselves to assist those who cross our paths, a by-product of this effort is a connection with a serving deity. Jesus was known as a servant, and he was obviously willing to sacrifice everything on our behalf. So, too, when we serve others, I think he draws near to us.

These are some (but not nearly all) of the things that I’ve noticed. Maybe, I’m right. Maybe, I’m wrong. All I know is that these things make sense to me. What about you?