What kind of people encounter God
What kind of people encounter God
In thinking about the people I live among today, I ponder what I might say to them about encountering God.
Some are like those in the coffee shop this morning. Believers who have most everything figured out. Whispering about the leadership of their church, the faults of others and the wisdom of their own insight, they break free from their drink to recognize an area minister. The moment of praise and appreciation for what he does is followed by about fifteen minutes of wisdom and insight they have that might help the poor guy. Let’s call these group Personal Perspective. They see the world as one that needs to encounter God through their personal perspective.
As I sat there I hoped they would not recognize me. I put my coffee cup on top of the theology book I was reading. I closed the flap on my backpack to conceal my Bible. I wanted to avoid the moment of praise and the discourse of correction my fellow minister was endured. But maybe I’m just like them. Maybe if it’s not my personal perspective it’s not worth putting up with?
I also have a great supply of young adults that have no “reason” for moral ground, but long for a world of goodness, justice, hope and self-fulfillment. They feel strongly that others should see the world like they do. Key on, “feel strongly.” How they feel is the foundation for truth. The stronger the conviction, the more universal the truth. And they feel controlled when someone disagrees with them. Everything is personal. How can I encourage them to encounter the Lord? If they know what the word “Lord” meant they might label me as a bigot or racist without a moment’s notice. I’ll call these Passionate People.
Today before the coffee shop, I was at the mission. A place where homeless women and families can find support and help. But that support has a cost. The mission has rules, a constant presentation of the Gospel and daily teaching and prayer. The mission has job training, education classes and a steady flow of practical self-helps. This Gospel and guidance release pressure to change, improve, discover what led you to your present condition and overcome it. The mission is not a safe place to hide. It is a safe place to be transformed. But transformation involves lots of pressure. So this will be Pressured People.
So why should those at the mission seek to encounter God? Do they need more pressure? “Because He loves them,” is often a handy response. But once you know the love of God, is pressures you too. Love must be dealt with. Love must be responded to, even if the response is rejection. How do I encourage those who have the weight of the world on their shoulders to take on more?
Then I have a group of people who are blessed, highly favored and seated with Christ in the heavens. This grace-filled group often irritate me. I have a basic “you get what you deserve” mentality and those who get to much free stuff from God offend my system of judgment. Now deep down I want to be blessed and freely loved by God, but I just want to do enough to earn it. Maybe not earn all of it, but I want to do enough to have God smile at me and wink, saying “I love Rod because he works hard and doesn’t mess around.”
These Blessed Believers get under my skin (flesh, carnal nature). They claim and cling to things I say we must pray and sacrifice for. They say faith (trust) makes the world go around and I say faith is good, as long as you work at it.
By the way, I am not presenting a Biblical list of people types. I’m just letting you see what’s in my heart. It might not be worth looking at, but it may help you understand the struggle we go through in our quest to make God know among those we live with. I could offer you my more sanctified authors list, but this list might help us have real hope for a real world. I have two more group.
I have thousands of rock solid believers who work and play, laugh and cry all for the glory of God. Men and women who enjoy life and God, freely share all that they have and share both Jesus and themselves in simple and sacrificial ways. I must need this group the most because this is the group that most surrounds me. And yet I want to encourage them to encounter the Lord too. I’ll call this group Play Dough People because they are easily formed into what God desires and delight themselves in the Lord often. They don’t have a pain free life by any means, but when life squeezes them, they just squeeze more toward the Lord.
So what are you like? In a bit, I’m going to share a list of reasons for encountering the Lord. I want to be able to connect with all types of people. And yes, some people I like more than others. Don’t you? Maybe you like all people except self-righteous, know it all, author teacher types. Let’s add the group Rodologist. It’s from Rodology rather than theology.
Don’t try to change to encounter God. That would be Rodology. Instead boldly see who you are. And from the place you are, be open to encounter God. The power of God’s presence will change us. We seek Him in our present condition. And in finding Him, our conditions change.
Full disclosure here.
I wanted to write this little investigation about seeing other through my eyes so that you might have a fresh understanding of yourself. My characterizations were intended to stir some kind of reaction. Why? Because I feel it is vital that we seek to encounter God from who we are, not from who we pretend be. Don’t waste time seeking to have the "projected you" or the "pretend you" find Jesus. Come to Jesus just as you are. He will take it from there.
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People Type
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% like that
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Rodologist
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Play Dough People
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Blessed Believers
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Pressured People
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Passionate People
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Personal Perspective
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Why Encounter God List (check all that apply)
To have a more significant life To feel love and excepted
Anointed to serve
To help others
For increased happiness
To be revived, renewed, freshness
Power to do what I ought to do
To change my circumstances
Find a new identity
Forgiveness
Healing
Because God is worthy
To know better, to experience
To have peace
To overcome fear and anxiety
To be saved, go to heaven
To be free from my past
I need grace
I feel tired, worn out
I’m confused, need direction
I want to be more Christ-like
Jesus shows us that Father God meets people where they are. Jesus did not go to the graduation class in the temple, but to the shores of life to encounter people. Jesus sought out business people, fishermen, tax gathers. Jesus opened his life to the hurting, the poor, those celebrating a wedding and those feasting together. All types of people in all conditions of life. There was even a time when a man was carried to Jesus by His friends. And yep, there might be times when we too need the help of others to get to the place of meeting with Jesus.
In my heart of hearts, who am I and why do I want to encounter God?
I'm working on a book about experiencing God. If you have comments of questions that might help me, post or send them to me. Feel free to post your perspective too. But always try to remember that Redneck Mystics are just another group of Lord seekers. Maybe not so refined, but full of something, none the less.
Please share this post if you discover it might encourage others.
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