The Journey Continues….
We could easily spend several months writing on the “how does God talk to us, and why am I having a hard time hearing Him…” conversation. I hope we have at least gotten most of us over that hurdle, so that we can move on. I also hope that I at least pointed you to some resources that can help further. But we need to get on to the question, “What does God want to talk to us about.”
Again, the set up for our “stuck-ness” is an interplay between our circumstances, our soul, and the spiritual realm. So watch for these same elements on the journey to freedom.
The kind of things that God brings up in conversation are almost always surprising, and
yet amazingly insightful Go back and look at the comment from Josiah C, on “The way Out” (two posts ago. He provides us with excellent examples of what appears to be God changing the subject. The reality is, it is we who are not familiar with our subject. Often God wants to talk to us about the specifics of our own personal set-up. I have seen countless times where people are completely taken by surprise at the moments, memories, or relationships that God brings to mind. But once we examine the lie that was believed, and the defenses that were implemented it begins to make perfect sense. More than making sense, it often produces the very change we have been seeking.
Carl Jung has been quoted as saying that most human suffering comes from our attempts to avoid legitimate suffering. This is his way, (and yes, I did just quote Jung….) of saying that our solutions can quickly become worse than our problems.
When talking to an alcoholic, what do you think their problem is?
More often than not, we think the problem is alcohol. I would submit that the problem is actually pain. Alcohol is simply a bad solution, or an attempt to avoid the legitimate suffering of life circumstances. So if you wee to ask God to talk to someone struggling with addiction, what do you think He would talk about?
Follow This
Talking about the symptom usually produces shame and frustration, so God usually does not talk about the symptom.
Talking about the root problem may or may not be helpful. Knowing the diagnosis does not always equal treatment. So God often does not want to talk about root problems.
Talking about positive things can often simply provoke unconscious defenses when we have believed negative things. So God seldom gives pep talks.
If God talks about Himself and how He feels about you, it can provide safety, nurture, and power in the midst of our fear and powerlessness.
If God tells you what He made to be true about you, it begins to make you feel safe, and loved. Feeling safe and loved allows us to begin to drop our protections.
Problems can actually go away when we see and hear God talk about His Nature, His Love for us, and how He made us.
What do you think God wants to talk about?
