YouTube: Your God Connection
It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ John 6:45
My research for talks and writing often takes me into the territory of mainstream religion. The commentary I read clearly treats God as a super being, brooding over the problems we’re creating, just biding his time before he steps in and straightens out the whole mess.
The notion of God as an indwelling presence is not as easy to imagine. What was Jesus thinking when he encapsulated passages from Jeremiah and Isiah into the simple statement of being taught by God? We know that many of his teachings involved the character of consciousness. The reminder that you can’t get figs from thistles shows the importance of our state of mind. Even a wavering faith, as small as a mustard seed, is enough to heal a physical condition. And believing you have received what you ask for in prayer ties a successful outcome to a positive and expectant attitude. These examples strongly suggest our God connection is intact, in full operation right now, and is always within our reach.
When Jesus warned against judging by appearances, he was telling us not to form our inner experience based on what we see and hear. Our God connection allows us to make different choices. I once knew an older woman who literally radiated a perpetual air of peace. Someone asked her how she maintained such an even temper. She said that when someone made a controversial statement intended to stir anger or disgust, she would simply say, “Yes, it does seem that way, doesn’t it?” This response allowed her to honor the person’s viewpoint without agreeing or feeling the need to challenge it. She said she also applied this to herself. When her eyes and ears gave a negative report, she would say to herself, “Yes, it does seem this way, doesn’t it?” It was her way of reminding herself that she was not obligated to engage the apparent controversy.
Your God connection gives you limitless possibilities for dealing with life’s challenges. When circumstances tell you it’s time to worry, you can say, “It does seem that way, doesn’t it?” You can then choose a different response.