Getting A Do-over - I Would Look For God

Getting a Do-Over - I Would Look for God

I WISH YOU knew my girlfriend Marcie.* She is one of my favorite people in the world. Marcie was a vice president for a global company prior to opening her own company. She is incredibly generous with her time and energy, and is so much fun to hang out with because she’s always in a great mood. In addition, she is a gifted artist. Did I mention she looks like Barbie? Sickening, isn’t it?

When I asked Marcie if she had anything that she would do over, she immediately answered, “Yes. I wish I had made my spiritual life a priority when I was younger. I would have looked for God.”

Marcie explained that a personal relationship with Christ was a pretty foreign concept until she began dating and later married a devoted follower of Christ. Attending church every Sunday, participating in Bible studies, and engaging in deep conversations about the unconditional love of Christ motivated Marcie to rethink her understanding of all things spiritual. During the past several years, as she focused more on her spiritual maturation, she began to realize how much of life she had really missed out on. Instead of her faith restricting her, Marcie said her spiritual growth has liberated her. Through learning and discussing Scripture in a small-group Bible study and spending time in daily prayer, she now operates with a new faith and a deeper belief system than ever before.

I think about my own spiritual maturation and wonder, Is it experience that strengthens my faith or faith that lends me the confidence to seek new experiences? Either way, I know I am safe in my willingness to explore and question those topics for which there is no definitive answer and where others might unknowingly lead me astray.

O LORD, you have examined my heartand know everything about me.You know when I sit down or stand up.You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. . . .You know what I am going to sayeven before I say it, LORD. (Psalm 139:1-2, 4)

Are you secure enough in your salvation to ask the hard questions, and confident enough to accept that you might not get a clear answer? Since God already knows the questions in your heart, maybe it’s time to come clean.

*Marcie is not her real name, but she does look like Barbie.