Earlier in the year, we did a short series on how diverse we all are in how we express love toward God. We are all wired differently and therefore we tend to connect with God in diverse ways. Here are the five basic ways we all connect with God:
Intellect/Study – Time with God through reading and meditating on Scripture. Your natural response to life events is to search scripture for guidance and answers. You feel closest to God during times of deep Bible study, the sharing of intellectually stimulating conversations, and the sharing of ideas about God.
Contemplation/Prayer – Time with God in silence, prayer, meditation, and praying for others. Your natural response to life events is to go to God in prayer. You feel closest to God during long periods of uninterrupted prayer, when you can disconnect from the world and be in God’s presence.
Relational – Time with God through connecting with other people, building community, and seeing Christ in the face of others. Your natural response to life events is to throw a party, get people together, or connect with someone one-on-one. You feel closest to God when you are most connected with the church, after a meal with someone you’ve shared life with through conversation, or when you’re able to step back and see people coming together as a community because you helped them make connections.
Service – Time with God through action where you provide physically for others. Your natural reaction to live events is to get busy taking care of the things that need to be done for other. You feel closest to God when you’re providing for others and taking care of their needs, even if they have no idea it was you who did it.
Emotion – Time with God through worship and emotional experiences. You feel God. Your natural response to life events is deep emotions through song or crying out. You feel closest to God when you’re able to worship freely, express your love and joy through raising your hands or dancing, or be moved to tears in times of lament.
As we strive to be healthy people, we need balance in life. Balance is not having 20% of each of these elements in your life. But, you do need to have each of these to their fullest capacity in your life for how you are wired. I would advocate that each are kept in check and should be increased at different times. I like to think of athletes having different focuses for their workouts. If you are going to be a good sprinter, you still have to have a strong upper body and be able to run 6 miles. A sprinter who doesn’t work on these areas will not have the lungs for multiple races and will not have the arm strength to pump their arms to sprint faster.
We are all built in different ways and we celebrate what each person brings to the Table as a Family. As a church, we want to challenge each other and equip each other to grown in all areas of our walk with God. We will spend the next three Sundays focusing on connecting with God through the intellect, through Bible study. For this study, I want to sit with the image of Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus in Luke 10:38-42, in a position of disciple. Jesus commends her for choosing what is better. Let’s sit at the feet of Jesus together.
To prepare for our first Sunday in this new series, here are some passages to reflect on:
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
In what ways do you delight in the law of God?
How does this run counter to the culture we are in?
What promise does David give about those who follow the law of God?
Acts 17:10-11
10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
What Scriptures did they examine?
Why does examining Scripture make them people of more noble character?
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
What Scripture is Paul referring to when he says this?
Who is Scripture supposed to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness?
Spend some time reflecting on Psalm 119 and ask God to help you develop this love for his word in your heart.
Psalm 119:97-104
Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser than my enemies.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.
102 I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.
107 I have suffered much;
preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
and teach me your laws.
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands,
I will not forget your law.
110 The wicked have set a snare for me,
but I have not strayed from your precepts.
111 Your statutes are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.
112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees
to the very end.