| What is it that stands in your way in communicating | | | | enough, clever enough, etc. |
| with God? What are the barriers? | | | | When it come to communicating with God there's a |
| Do you view God as a friend? | | | | whole new level of stories we tell ourselves - "I don't |
| Have you ever gone out in public with a well behaved | | | | have enough faith." "I'm not willing enough for God to |
| child? Now there's something to behold! Perfect | | | | speak to me." "I'm such a terrible sinner." And on and |
| strangers nod, smile, chat - even pat my little girl on the | | | | on. |
| head. Now that I have a 2 year old people aren't | | | | Once you really drill down and discover what your |
| nearly as afraid of me - nor I of them... I mean who | | | | fears are - you will find they are simply your own |
| would be afraid of a child? Have I change or is it just | | | | notions - stories you've been telling yourself about |
| having a child present? | | | | yourself. Some of them may have come from your |
| With no child present there seems to be a sort of | | | | parents or perhaps just the society we live in. Religion |
| barrier between us adults. | | | | teaches a few as well that tend to restrict a person's |
| The barrier is fear. It could be a lot of things. | | | | relationship with God. It really doesn't matter where |
| "I'm busy and if I give time to that person I'll be late." "I'm | | | | they come from chances are quite good they are |
| afraid that other person doesn't want to talk to me." | | | | false. |
| "I'm no good at carrying on a conversation with | | | | Oh, sure you may think them about yourself - but does |
| strangers." You get the idea. The reasons vary widely | | | | that really make them true? Actually NO! We're about |
| and really aren't important - the fear is the same and | | | | to get outside the scope of this article but if you can |
| the result the same - no communication. | | | | be open to the idea that much of the stuff we tell |
| A verse in 1 John speaks of the impossibility of loving | | | | ourselves about ourselves is negative and false "head |
| an unseen God if we can't love a brother who is | | | | talk" you will be well on your way to opening up to a |
| visible. | | | | whole new level of living! |
| I John 4:20 | | | | Entertain this thought for a few minutes: God created |
| If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is | | | | me, loves me intensely just the way I am and desires |
| a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, | | | | communication with me more than anything else. |
| whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has | | | | Notice the stuff that comes to mind to contradict this |
| not seen. (NIV) | | | | idea - You don't need to do anything with this stuff - |
| I wonder if communication is the same? How can we | | | | just notice it. |
| communicate with God who we don't see if we can't | | | | Later you may wish to spend a little time considering |
| even communicate with a fellow human being standing | | | | the source of these contradicting ideas. Ask yourself if |
| directly in front of us? | | | | they are true - and how do you know they are true? If |
| Does the fear that keeps us from communicating with | | | | you don't know they are true - then they are suspect - |
| our brother also block communication with God? | | | | and should be placed on the "do not call" list! |
| Probably. | | | | Then the next time that thought or idea comes up - |
| See the thing is these fears are stories you tell | | | | you will remember that it's on the "do not call" list and |
| yourself about yourself. At the root of them runs | | | | has no right to be imposing it's negativity on your life. |
| some theme about not being smart enough, good | | | | |