Meeting God?
So here you are, wanting to know about "Meeting God." Forgive me when I say it's not all that simple to explain.
Meeting God is such a personal experience. It's different for everyone because God meets us where we are; it's more about being willing and open than about chasing Him down. How that relationship takes shape is pretty much up to you and God.
I guess that's why they tapped me to write this page, even though I'm not the best source of wisdom about this process. My own relationship with God is about as complicated as relaltionships can get, but that's more a refelction on me than on God. Let's just say that faith doesn't come easy for me, but I know the struggle is worth it, which is why I know it's worth it for you too.
So, back to the question at hand: What does it mean when we talk about meeting God? I'm no pastor, but I do know this: It's a change that happens in your mind, your heart and your soul, a new way of looking at and relating to God, through His son Jesus Christ. It's the ultimate "Aha!" experience that changes your life forever.
Christians believe God came to earth in the person of Jesus of Nazareth some 2,000 years ago, both fully God and fully man in one of those mysteries no one can pretend to understand. The Bible says Jesus lived out God's compassion and goodness—and His justice—so that people could catch a glimpse of God's heart. The highlights of what Jesus did and said while He was here—teaching, preaching, healing and showing amazing love—are contained in the four gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
But, as anyone knows who's seen or heard of Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, the very people Jesus healed and loved killed Him. In a really horrible way.
I can't imagine how it felt to be a follower of Jesus and watch Him suffering to death on the cross. I probably couldn't have watched it at all. How hopeless and helpless those people must have felt! How could God have let this happen to the Son He said He loved?
Of course, what I know now is, Jesus' death on that cross was part of God's plan all along. He took what seemed like the end of the world and turned it into the beginning of a new one. By dying on the cross, Jesus took on Himself all of our brokenness, our wrong-headedness, our meanness and hate and sin, and opened up a clean, bright doorway into the presence of God. It's a doorway we can walk through without fear, because we've been forgiven. No matter what.
You'd think that a people living as freely forgiven and adored children of God would be full of goodness and grace, right? Instead, you look back through the centuries and you see how the church has often twisted up this message. We end up thinking we've got to earn God's love, through good deeds or the perfect life.
How can you earn something that's freely given? You can't. And trying so hard to make yourself feel worthy of love has the opposiste effect of making you feel unworthy and worthless. It's so hard to accept the unconditional love of God, I guess because it's like nothing else in life.
That's why this whole meeting God thing is such a miracle. The Bible says we meet Him when we turn from a position of doubting, fighting, mistrusting or trying to earn His favor, to a position of accepting of that one marvelous truth: Jesus loves us and forgive us no matter what.
No matter what.
For some people, this miracle happens in an instant; for some it takes time. There's no right or wrong about how you get there, the important thing is to get there. You'll know when it's happened when you can say without flinching, "I trust that God has forgiven me, not because of what I've done or haven't done, but because of what Jesus did on the cross."
The big news, of course, is that Jesus didn't stay on the cross, or in the grave. He rose from the dead. It's essential that He did, because if He hadn't come back to life, we'd have no reason to believe He was/is God. The Bible says He showed Himself to those same sad people who'd stood at the foot of His cross, to say, "Look, it's Me! I told you I will always love you, and I will. Now, go and tell people what you've seen."
Thank God they did.
Ultimately, the decision to meet God requires a step of faith. How could it not, when there are so many competing systems of belief and thought out there? But if you wait until you have every question answered and every doubt addressed—all the whys and why nots and what ifs—you won't do it.
Taking that step of faith won't solve all your problems. I wish it did! But it does change things. It gives hope. It gives a certain amount of peace, even when life is totally out of control.
For me, it has meant I've never had to feel completely alone. I don't understand God. But I trust Him, I love Him, and I'm so grateful that He loves me. No matter what.
If you've got questions and want to talk to someone about all this stuff, please email or call us, or come by. Our contact info is below and we's love to hear from you to be part of this amazing process with you.
Thanks for reading this far—I know it's long. God bless you as you think about Him.
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