On Sunday we had the next in the series of sermons regarding God being closer than we think. This third part relates to living with God today. The sermon, I have to say, was very inspiring and the message clear, but I came away with one puzzling question; "What does it mean to 'dive in'?"
Let me give the context: Richard started by reminding us of all the things we knew so far; God wants to be close to us, and can be with us in each thought, each activity and each moment of our day. Sometimes though, we have days where God seems far away, or where we deliberately push God away, or where we have got a bit stuck in routine and may have 'spiritually habituated'. When that happens, how do we react to it? How do we go about re-discovering God's closeness?
Richard mentioned a few of the things we may try to do: Adding extra disciplines to our routine, trying harder to ensure we get a quiet time, and maybe making it longer, or changing its structure, reading more books, etc. Eventually, we can end up simply trying too hard. (There are many other things that Richard mentioned that people may do in this situation, but I have forgotten them so will update this when I find my sermon notes!). Often we find that whatever we try to do, just simply isn't working.
What if we could find God right now, live with God right now, today, in this moment? Maybe we need to stop trying so hard and just, "dive into the river of the Spirit of God".
He said it much more eloquently than this of course, and it really was powerful. The question is, how do you simply 'dive in'? I have asked a number of people about this and had some interesting answers. For example, its about recognising that we can feel and sense God's presence even just when we are doing the mundane things of life, and in having fun etc.
Someone else said that it was more than this, and mentioned something about a character change, and said it was different for different people. But he didn't really have time to qualify what he meant by that.
Surely 'diving in' requires activity. To dive is a verb - a doing word. But what is it? What do we do? How do we dive in.
A friend of mine (you know who you are) would probably say something about it involving 'resting' in God. (and no I am not implying laziness!), but how do you do that? And is it really about resting? I am not convinced of this either. Plus, I try to rest in God by making sure I spend time being still and trying to imagine God with me. But 1) should I really need to imagine, and 2) surely I am back to trying hard. (Oops, this is getting personal again!)
Someone else (again, you know who you are) would tell me its about making a choice - but I really don't want to get into that here. (Refusing to go personal!)
Am I just confusing the issue? Is there even an answer, or do I just have to wait and see what 'diving in' means for me?
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6 comments:
this is deep stuff!hey kirsty, long time no see!!
Hi Becky. A very long time! Nice to re-gain contact. Hope you are well. I had a brief look at your blog yesterday too. I will read it properly soon though. I love blogs!
xxx
Hi Kirsty
This is going to be far too simple and not answer your question, because it still leaves 'how?' questions.
I often have the same sorts of questions, and there is someone who always reminds me that God promises the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. This is not just talking about a one off time when we first become a Christian. This is an ongoing promise and I guess is about being full with the Spirit.
I don't always know what this means, but I think that's because I rarely ask. Perhaps we just need to ask and keep on asking, and then the answers to the sorts of questions you have will come (God has promised after all!). Surely being full of the Spirit is about closeness to God.
Perhaps too simplistic an answer? I don't know, but it always challenges me that perhaps I just don't trust enough in God's promises (not that I do much about the challenge!).
xx
It usually helps me, when I don't understand an analogy, to imagine it in its literal sense and then stretch it out, examining it in the literal sense and then readdressing it as an analogy.
So, when we talk about diving in in the literal sense, we're talking about swimming right? I suppose you could dive into a ravine or a giant vat of jelly but let us assume, for the sake of what will undoubtedly turn into an insanely long comment, that we are in a swimming pool.
You arrive at the pool and after getting changed into your gear (trunks, shorts, costume, bikini, fins, goggles, air tank, etc.) you decide that you would like to go swimming. Now there are two ways of doing this (I'm sure there are far more than two ways but for the sake of this exercise...). You could either stand at the shallow end and slowly become accustomed to the water by sticking a toe in and then a foot. Then you slowly lower yourself into the water, maybe occasionally popping back up again coz it's just too cold. But eventually you're in the water up to your waist and you're standing there, shivering, kind of twisting ever so slightly from side to side in the hope that people will think you're having fun. You're then confronted with the annoying friend who splashes you in an attempt to get you to lighten up and it's freezing but you still want to look like you're having fun so, after silently cursing them and wishing them a slow and painful end, you force a laugh. But you don't splash back coz you don't want to encourage your idiot of a friend. But it makes no difference coz your idiot of a friend splashes you again anyway. And then eventually you work up the courage to submerge your whole head underneath the water so that you are now acclimatized to the temperature of the pool. And you bring your head up, happy in the knowledge that you are now reasonably comfortable (more so than you were at least) but you've been in the pool an hour and a half and you still haven't started swimming yet. So you make your way to the side and grip on for dear life as you pull your way around the swimming pool (all the while kicking your legs so that people will think "oh look - that person's swimming" instead of "oh look - someone's pulling themselves around the pool" which is, of course, what you're doing). Eventually, you work up the courage to leave the side, but only while you're in the shallow end, and you start swimming. Then after a good couple of hours, you realise that this isn't so bad and you probably could have done this from the beginning, if only you'd have had the courage. And so you slowly make your way to the deeper end of the pool, thrashing wildly in a desperate bid to stay afloat while you attempt to get to the other side. And then the other side of the pool is getting closer and closer and you're just about to start swimming in the deep end which is what you wanted to be doing when you arrived, and then the whistle blows, indicating that the pool is closing and you have to go home.
Alternatively, you could head straight for the deep end and dive in.
So I suppose it's the same with faith. We can often spend ages remaining where it's safe with every intention to get deeper but only when we're acclimatized to God's presence or when we feel more secure in Him or when we know our bibles more or whatever. We'll go where God sends us but only after several years of preparing ourselves. I'm not ready to take that job. I'm not ready to lead that group. I'm not ready to give that talk/testimony/sermon. These are all things that I want to do someday but I'm simply not ready now. Later, when I've paddled in the shallow end for a bit longer, but not now.
And maybe sometimes God's just calling us to walk to the deep end and dive in, trusting that He will keep us afloat.
It won't be instantly easy. When you dive into a pool it's a massive shock to the system. We're suddenly very cold. We're speeding towards the bottom of the pool and we have to thrash wildy to get to the surface before we drown. It's not the most pleasurable of experiences but once you've done it, that's when the fun starts.
And maybe when we're in the shallow end, slowly psyching ourselves up to gradually progress to the next stage, maybe that's when we're missing all the good stuff.
Glyn, that was such a great comment. You never fail to make me laugh, but seriously it made a lot of sense too. All that you said was totally what the third study was about. Have you done this before? Have you got all the answers written down somewhere and now just trying to look clever?
Seriously, I think you have kind of hit the nail on the head. When you said "We'll go where God sends us but only after several years of preparing ourselves. I'm not ready to take that job. I'm not ready to lead that group. I'm not ready to give that talk/testimony/sermon", this is probably what was meant when that person said it would be different for different people. I guess God will show us what it is that we personally have to dive into. Maybe it is a vat of Jelly for some!
Plus, Jo's comment about the spirit being promised is true. We will be diving in but only with the spirit within us. I guess God knows when we are willing to let go of our lives and tells us what to do from there. Its being willing that is the key.
Kirsty, HI!
I wonder if sometimes it's about our character too. Some of your friends are so deep and clever and write such long profound blogs. I don't, doesn't mean I'm not deep and clever sometimes,but generally what I am is impulsive. I need to dive in all the time and it is relatively easy for me, but sometimes I really do need to think about it more :)
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