05.10
How do you best connect with God? For me, it’s through His Creation. I loved the prayer time at our church last Thursday because the organizers gave us two options… 1) pray in the worship center; or 2) take a prayer walk through the woods. It didn’t take me two seconds to decide which option was for me. Praying while I walk through nature energizes me. Sunrises inspire me. Ocean waves calm me. Yet, when I pray while I’m sitting inside a room, I’m easily distracted (sorry God!).
We each have one or two primary ways of connecting with God, sensing His presence and experiencing spiritual growth. Sometimes we think that we are inferior to others because we don’t have their pathway. Other times, we feel superior, wondering why more people don’t connect with God the way we do.
John Ortberg – one of my absolute favorite writers – gives a great list of Spiritual Pathways. Here they are:
1. Intellectual Pathway: “… draw closer to God as they learn more about Him.”
2. Relational Pathway: “… have a deep sense of God’s presence when they’re involved in significant relationships.”
3. Serving Pathway: “… God’s presence seems most tangible when they’re involved in helping others.”
4. Worship Pathway: “… have a natural gift for expression and celebration.”
5. Activist Pathway: “You have a passion to act.”
6. Contemplative Pathway: “God is most present to you when distractions and noises are removed.”
7. Creation Pathway: “… have a passionate ability to connect with God when they are experiencing the world He made.”
What’s your pathway? When it’s left unchecked, do you feel it’s inferior or superior to others? Can you share a recent time when God made His presence very real to you through your pathway? I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts, so join the discussion and comment on this post.
