The Quest

One of the most grand and mysterious assertions in all of scripture is that God dwells within us. Examples: "Christ in me, the hope of glory"(Colossians 1:27). "He (God) that is within you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world" (I John 4:4).

None of these assertions, of course, are saying that you are God; only that God is in you. G.K. Chesterton wrote that "Satan fell by force of gravity: he took himself too seriously." Seeking to know God, seeking to be available to God, to be filled with God's presence is not the same as seeking to become God. It is an unbearable burden to pretend one is no longer human, but has become divine. The pomposity of it all is a waste of energy and gets in the way of any authentic spiritual progress.

God is everywhere. In theological jargon, God is omnipresent. All of God is everywhere at all times. "Part" of God isn't over there, while another "part" of God is somewhere else. God doesn't have "parts." God Is .

Those who are on the path do see God everywhere, and this phenomenon of "sight" gives them a different perspective on life. The average person lives in a puddle of self-importance, so that when anything goes wrong, the onslaught feels like a tsunami. But when those who know that they live in an ocean of God's presence experience difficulties, it's more as if a tiny pebble just dropped into the Atlantic.

One of the great challenges for many people who have chosen to make the journey isn't so much that God is everywhere, but the notion that God is within them. For these people, God is "out there," but not "in here." If this is your belief, such a misunderstanding will rob you of the power and the wisdom you need for your journey.

"But look at my rubbish," some may say. "God certainly can't be within a mess as total as me ." Well, if God can't abide in a mess, then you would be correct. But the fact is, God accepts you right where you are. I'm not saying that God approves of everything you do or whom you have become up until now, but when you step onto the path, God accepts and embraces you.

The life, death and resurrection of Jesus declared that God not only can embrace a mess, but also can and does redeem messes. God embraces ugliness in order to restore it to beauty. God untangles lies and deceptions so as to reveal the Truth. God fills you so as to transform you!

The God who created the universe dwells within you .
God the miracle worker lives in you .
God the healer resides in you .
God the redeemer is within you .
God the All-Powerful One is in you.
The God who is everywhere at all times is in you .
The God of all wisdom and knowledge is in you.
The God who is perfectly pure lives inside of you.
The Infinite God lives in you.

Go back and read these assertions out loud and make them personal. "The God who created the universe dwells in me .God the miracle worker lives in me .God the healer resides in me." Do it right now. I'll wait.

Do you think that if you affirmed and confessed these truths every day, your perspective of yourself and your life might change? (The caveat to these confessions, of course, is this: Have you asked God to come into your life yet?)

A large part of your journey is about learning to live and act in this reality. If you see God as just someone "out there," life will be lived in one way. If you see God as also living in you, you will live life in an entirely different manner.