7 Ways to God [#10u]

How to find God’s near according to one’s personalities.

Every person is unique, so it is also important that we approach God in a unique way. In this article I will show you how you can find God according to your uniqueness. #approachestoGod #waystoGod #seekingGod #findingGod #restinginGod

As text below the video

Every person is absolutely unique. No one is like another, neither in appearance nor in personality. For this reason, each individual, when he becomes a Christian, perceives God differently. Everyone felt or feels the closeness of God differently than another. But sometimes we feel so far away, as if Jesus was no longer there. We miss his tangible nearness and feel alone again. Just like the times when we were not yet Christians. Then we need a way back. Then we need to know how to find our way back – into his nearness.
And I would like to compare this way back with a train station with 7 platforms. At each platform there is a train, all of them are going to the same destination, but each one takes a different route. Therefore, according to our personality, we have to pay close attention and get on the right train.

1.) The relationship-oriented path

The train on track 1, takes the relational route to God. Very many Christians have a relational approach to God. Worshiping together with friends, praying together, studying and discussing the Bible, that is an optimal approach for such people. But it can also be quite banal things, like cooking together or taking a walk. Even in such times, they feel closer to God than when they withdraw into silence, read the Bible or pray. Such people need other brothers and sisters to experience and feel God.

2) The intellectual path

On platform 2, a train is waiting for those with intellectual access to God. This train is good for people who need intellectual challenges to build a close relationship with God. If their minds are not challenged, they have trouble experiencing Jesus and being close to Him. They need to study material that challenges them spiritually or advances them theologically. Their relationship with God is fed by what is going on in their minds, expanding and broadening their horizons. Cozy relationship-oriented Bible study groups are not usually right for them. Nor are testimonies and experiences of others enough for them to really move forward in their faith and deepen their relationship with Jesus.

3.) The serving way

On track 3 is the train for Christians with the servant approach to God. It is ideal for the brothers and sisters who say that they feel closest to Jesus when they feel that He uses them as instruments. Who can serve others practically and do something practically. Such people need the opportunity to be practically involved. They are mostly not guys who read theological treatises. That is not practical enough – they want to get involved.

4) The contemplative path

Another train is on track 4. This one is for the Christians who have a contemplative approach to God. Such need a lot of time alone with God. Prayer walks, or even in their prayer room, or prayer chair. They feel very close to Jesus when they can pray, think, write, read, or perhaps even make music for Jesus undisturbed. Being alone with Jesus, without distractions or disturbances is great for them. They enjoy the quiet time in the morning and can easily spend a lot of time in prayer. What people with an activist approach to God tend to hate.

5) The activist approach

On platform 5, the activist train to God is waiting for those. This is the complete opposite of the contemplative path. Such persons feel very close to God when they speed through life. When they are challenged up to the tips of their hair and can only say: “God, help me through this! And sometimes I even have the feeling: Such people need problems to be close to Jesus. Because the motto is: The more challenge, the closer to Jesus.

6) The creation-oriented path

On track 6, the creation-oriented train travels with us through nature to God. This is for the brothers and sisters who encounter Jesus especially in nature by marveling at the wonder of creation. We enjoyed a little of this together last Sunday at the Forest Service. People who should take this train are those who like to discover things in nature. They like to hike, marvel at sunrises, delight in flowers, leaves and animals. Such people feel close to Jesus when they are out in nature.

7.) Worship

On the last track 7 is the train in which praise music is always playing. It is the access to God through worship.
I know that this applies to many Christians, because many Christians are especially addressed by music in their spirituality. When someone needs the advice of our Lord Jesus, or seeks his guidance, he turns on a praise CD to be very close to Jesus.

Everyone has a mix of all these ways

Now we have to detach ourselves from the image of the station and the platforms. As we said at the beginning, every human being is created completely differently. No one is like another, and everyone feels God’s closeness differently. THEREFORE: each of us also has a unique mix of all the mentioned ways of access to God. Some more strongly, some less strongly, some not at all.

What does your Mis look like? If you had to give % numbers, what would be the distribution ? Try this very practically and take a small piece of paper and write down how the distribution looks like with you.

This knowledge about ourselves is very important

It’s really important because there are times with all of us when God seems extremely distant. Times when we are somehow disconnected. It feels like Jesus is light years away.
If we know in such times in which train we can sit down to take us back to God, then we also know the way back to God’s nearness.
But not only that. Our spiritual growth also depends greatly on whether we seek Jesus in a way that best suits us, and then nurture it.

This mix changes over the years

With the years of life, the mix that corresponds to us changes. Then it becomes important that we go in search of new traces and take a close look at the ways in which we can come closer to God.