God in a Box?

Did you ever think it would be nice to find a recipe on how to become closer to God?  You may think it would look something like this:


1.  Go to church 3 times a week
2.  Add 1 hours worth of quiet time each and everyday where you pray and read the Bible
3.  Donate at least one hour per week to a charitable organization
 4.  And lastly repeat steps 1 - 3 until you have reached your desired relationship with God.
 
If you have been a believer in Christ or one that is seeking to understand their relationship with God for any amount of time you probably have realized such a recipe simply does not exist.  Yes, there is an overall benefit and we have been directed by scripture to read and study God's word, to go to church and to give to the poor but the specifics (how much, etc.) have not been given. 

I have spoke to many people throughout the years about their belief and understanding of God and have realized just as there are no two marriages completely the same, nor any parent-child relationship identical, the same is true about our relationship with God.  There are similarities and basic truths that are the same, (i.e. God loves us all) just as it would be for marriages (i.e. communication is important for the relationship), but the relationships are NOT identical.  

In the book Sacred Pathways, author Gary Thomas goes over nine different pathways to loving and drawing near to God.  In this book the nine that are explored are the following:

1.  Naturalists:  Loving God Outdoors
2.  Sensates:  Loving God with the Senses
3.  Traditionalists:  Loving God through Ritual and Symbol
4.  Ascetics:  Loving God in Solitude and Simplicity
5.  Activists:  Loving God through Confrontation
6.  Caregivers:  Loving God by Loving Others
7.  Enthusiasts:  Loving God with Mystery and Celebration
8.  Contemplatives:  Loving God through Adoration
9.  Intellectuals:  Loving God with the Mind

What way do you tend to show God love, commune with God, or seek God the most?

When seeking to understand yourself spiritually, a spiritual mentor is another resource that can be helpful. In Community Care there are trained Spiritual Mentors to help you explore your relationship with God. Again, there is no recipe but understanding the ways you naturally communicate and draw near to God can help you grow closer to God.



But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29 (NIV)


Resources

Spiritual Mentors:  Contact Community Care or go to the Community Care web page to learn more.

Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas

Free Study Notes for Gary Thomas book including Sacred Pathways:  Gary Thomas Site