Be awakened to what God is already doing.
It's important to remember the first two steps because we want to build them into our everyday lives. It's not like, "Ok, I completed the Emotionally Present Lesson. I'm ready to move on"! For the rest of our lives, we will continue to grow in our capacity and desire to be honest with God.
Our third step is to become aware that God is at work. Instead of drifting through life, we want to be alive to God and all he is doing!
This isn't an innovative idea! In the fifteenth century, Ignatius of Loyola was teaching children to reflect, every evening, on how God had been active in their life that day. This is a habit we can all develop to experience spiritual growth.
As you read through the Gospels, one of the surprising and sometimes even humorous themes is that most people don't understand Jesus. They don't understand who he is, what he is teaching, or how to make sense of his miracles. What is revealed through these interactions is their spiritual blindness.
In Terrence Malick's film The Tree of Life, there's a moment where Mr. O'Brien confesses, "I wanted to be loved because I was great. A big man. I'm nothing. Look: the glory around us, the trees, the birds. I lived in shame. I dishonored it all and didn't notice the glory. A foolish man."
It's a moment that grabs your heart. It's a sad part of the human condition: not noticing that we're surrounded by glory. Have you ever gone through an entire day without noticing God? Does everything seem ordinary—or filled with splendor?
In John 8, Jesus makes a momentous statement: "I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."
When we see Jesus, the Light of the world, he opens our eyes to the light of life. But that raises the question: Where is God working? What is God doing?
**Spiritual growth happens when we orient ourselves to who God is and what God is doing.**
Here's a simple framework for gaining awareness:
**God is working in us, among us, through us, and around us.**
**Our third step to God is to be awakened to what God is already doing.**
Jesus spoke to them again: 'I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.'
What might be some reasons I am unaware of God's activity in my life and environment?
What's the difference between 'being religious' and 'paying attention to God'?
In the past week, how has God been at work in my heart?
In the past week, how has God been at work among my Christian community?
In the past week, how has God been empowering our church to serve others?
In the past week, how has God been working around me/us?
What habits would help me notice how God is already, always at work?
Each evening this week, spend five minutes reflecting on your day. Ask: Where did I see God at work today? In me? Among others? Through me? Around me? Write down one observation each night.
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