Today, the diversity in understanding what ‘God’ means to each individual is as expansive as the ocean. However, there are key essentials in working with such a relationship. The primary requirement is that ‘God’ is personal; otherwise such a journey of growth and intimacy becomes distant and isolated. To have an experiential relationship with a relational God takes transformation onto a new plateau. It presents new levels of opportunities of growth in the area of human development both in outward behaviour and inward consciousness. It could, perhaps, give a greater dimension to the area of identity, which in turn, would relate to deeper depths of self-actualization.
A second aspect is that this ‘God’ must have the ability to understand where the individual is and for the individual to know that this ‘God’ can actually make a difference. Such a statement sounds obvious on one level when thinking of a being with unlimited power but individuals may find it hard to translate the transcendence of ‘God’ with the immanence of ‘God’.
A final prerequisite deals with the grey area of personal volition. If God grants the freedom to choose, then, where does the boundary of the activity of God begin and end? Does God only have an influential role in the decisions that we make? By which, I mean does God assist our decision-making processes in the same way our parents try (or not) to inform us of the consequences of drug participation and its consequences. Does God make us aware on an internal spiritual level of the effect such a choice may create?
When relating this to self-sacrifice and submitting ones will to the will of God or higher purpose etc-to what degree do we relinquish our personal volition? Out of this arises the issue of trust. If, on our journey of transformation, we are, in times of need, to fall at the mercy of something greater than ourselves then, surely, we have to trust what this ‘God’ may do for us. It would be no good simply presuming that suddenly we would be carried by this source to a better and more wholesome life. We need to know something of the one we are trusting. Something of their character and what their personal qualities are and how these are invested with .
Transformation, therefore, requires a process of seeking out that which we believe to be the source of our external help. Why is the journey such a forward-backwards movement? This seems to me due to the divine-umbilical cord, in that our human existence is an invisible smooth, unbroken thread from our eternal ‘home’ to our present state. As such, the relationship between our past and present are not two separate events but are part of a whole event. They are both integrated and also influence each other. Added to this, glimpses of our future, not that they are ‘angelic visions’ but on occasion this may occur. It is more that from previous experiences as the individual becomes aware of certain consequences and a shaping of their experience from the choices made. Then, they can see images of a future based on a similar choice-based platform. Hopefully, this will inform their thinking in this process.
1 response so far ↓
jen woodcock // November 12, 2009 at 10:29 pm
last few lines – knowing yourself and consequences for future “triggers” and counteracting possible difficulties by trying to go another way – or something!