Beginning: Fear marks the start of following God’s path, which ends in trust. Starting off broken, you end up whole. Knowledge is the beginning, experience, the end. It starts with thinking and ends with knowing. It begins with faith and ends with love.
Our knowledge and understanding are partial. We see dimly through the glass. Seeing the whole story is more fulfilling than seeing just a piece of it. Unparalleled peace comes from knowing why you exist.
In his novel, Jules Verne journeyed to the earth’s centre. Our destination is the earth’s centre, ready for our arrival. Inside that centre, you’ll find the pearl of great price. In that pearl, I see God’s presence in ourselves!
Our lives are intertwined; you exist within each other. You just took over the reign of your life and took control. To find him, you must first surrender all control and then journey inward. Seeking God isn’t about looking outward or attending meetings. Your heart’s centre is his dwelling place.
Having taken my journey, my search ended. I dwell in an atmosphere of peace, love, and joy. I might live alone there since others are preoccupied with their lives and can’t join me. Loneliness and aloneness are unknown to me; I’m always comforted. I’m happy and fulfilled because I have all that I require. Have I died? Not yet, I feel I’ve mastered the art of fully living as a human. Am I old? Years may have ticked away, but my health and vitality is still equivalent to that of an eighteen-year-old. God says we don’t perish with dreams, and I still have those dreams and wonder in my eyes. If your dreams are lost and the wonder is gone, you are as good as dead.
Although life on earth is short, we have eternity to deepen our relationship with God. To get over yourself and live from the centre of your being, I believe, is life abundantly. Be like seeds sown in fertile ground; nurture yourselves to create a fruitful harvest for future generations. Time is a precious gift; don’t squander it. Identify areas where you can change your routine to reclaim your time. Since our days are numbered by God, we must use them wisely.
Follow the guidance of the wise; let their wisdom lead you. If their life embodies health, well-being, love, peace, joy, satisfaction, and contentment, you’ve found the right person.
Feel free to ask; God will provide. When we ask for bread, God won’t give us a rock. Many fail to receive because of improper requests. Their request comes from their fallen, not resurrected, self. Thus, they defiantly challenge God’s presence, questioning his whereabouts. Rather than questioning their own roles in their prayer’s shortcomings.
Love your neighbour as you love yourself and pray for your enemies. While initially hard, it’ll come naturally as you grow to comprehend life and its workings. Learning is a lifelong journey, but you can transcend your flaws and live a God-centred life. Everything I need is already here, so I don’t have to go anywhere. Going out is usually just a distraction.
The core of life lies in its enjoyment. Mental struggles steal your joy and leave you feeling weighed down. Begin by clearing your mind. That’s how I started. Once you’ve mastered that one thing, the rest will come easily. Replacing those fallen thoughts with holy thoughts requires drawing a line in the sand. Silence, nature, and the Bible: These are places where they can be found. You may ask, which Bible? The one that resonates with you. Although some initially require a learning community, spiritual growth often leads to contentment with just one or two trusted individuals. Personally, my journey included only one or two. Others were either scared or confused by my radical rejection of society.
Being good to yourself is synonymous with being good and doing good.
To me, anything less than my best was failing to represent Christ. Various religions have presented an unappealing version of Christ. This reflects poorly on them. Given the opportunity to reveal Christ to the world, they did so in their imperfections. The lack of people in churches is completely understandable. Many people I met on my travels had been wounded by the church and vowed never to return. My counsel was to avoid judging God based on your experiences with organized religion. I said, they didn’t know who the king of kings was, so they put him on a cross.
Organized religion didn’t acknowledge my journey. The rejection was especially painful because of my past service as a church deacon. I just needed a listening ear, but they showed no interest in me and turned their back on me. I struggled greatly to forgive them and their offenses against the many I’d met along the way. Yet, that experience became a significant triumph: learning to love and understand the church as Christ does. I had to view it through Christ’s eyes, seeing all of us as the church rather than just a group with a name which called themselves the church. Since God wants no one to perish, we are all one with Him, and He leaves no one behind.
The world’s wealth and riches are not my own. Despite lacking possessions, I am incredibly fulfilled. Fifteen years ago, God told me to give up everything and follow Him, and all my possessions still fit in a car, just like they did then. Initially, my identity was a delusion, but now I have a clear sense of self.
The statement “I am who I am” comes from God. That’s life’s ultimate truth and bottom line. Who we are is who we are, and I live with the great ‘I am’.
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