How do we know God?

If you are following this blog then there is a  chance that you already believe in God. Our belief in God can grow in many ways. Maybe you have been bought up in a family of faith that attends Church; or perhaps in school assemblies God is talked about in ways that you can respect and be inspired by. Sometimes we meet people or have friends whose Christian lives are witness to a God that we can no longer just ignore. 

When we talk about believing in something, we talk about that 'something' being true and real. It exists and we know it exists. Believing in God is like that; but it is also so much more. When we believe in God, we know he exists but we also put our trust in him. We trust him and have faith that he will enter into a loving relationship with each of us, care for us and guide us.

God can reveal himself to us in a number of ways:

The Bible. The bible is a collection of books written over a long period of time by many authors. They all had been inspired by God to record the history of God's relationship with mankind; how he has revealed himself to the world over many generations. The Bible also tells us about the life and teaching of Jesus and how he came into the world to save us. The Bible is a living text, as we read it we grow into relationship with God, the creator of all things.

Creation. God is often powerfully present in the world he has created. When we stand in awe and wonder looking at a beautiful sunset, or the stunning view from an aeroplane or mountain top. When we notice the amazing dexterity of animals and birds; the beauty of flowers and insects. When the storms are raging or the history of time is revealed in the rocks; when we gaze at the night sky of stars and planets. All of these moments can have a lasting impression on us and can make the presence of God more real.

Life Experiences. Our relationship with God can grow through our experiences and our conscience. As we gain experiences in life our conscience will respond. We will know what is right and wrong, which course of action to take or which things we should avoid. Through reading the Bible and engaging with the teachings of the Church we can come to know where god might be leading us; where God is present in our lives. Our conscience may sometimes try to explain some of life's events and timings as coincidences; but it may be that God is guiding and speaking to us through them. Over time God changes us and we become more aware of his presence around us.

Prayer is spending time with God, speaking and listening. Christians put their trust in a God of relationship, a God that loves them and cares for them. Prayer helps us draw closer to God, we want to love God; the source of our greatest happiness. When we pray we can use words or just sit quietly. Making ourselves available to God is time that cannot be wasted, it is God's time and therefore eternal.

Christians believe in a God of relationship, a God that we can come to know and who wants to know us and care for us. Our desire for God is part of being human, it is natural. So look around, see God in the world around you and in the experiences of your life. Pick up a Bible and read Mark's Gospel (the shortest one!) and spend some time each day with God in prayer.

Heavenly Father,
I offer you this day.
The work I do, the people I meet,
the pleasures and the problems.
That in everything, I may know
the love of our Lord Jesus Christ
and be truly thankful.

Amen

Click here for information on our season of 'Faith Confirmed'.