Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

    How do I know what God wants my "life to be"?

    For the most part I follow the Ten Commandments ... what else is there?

    Bubba

    I feel that if I lived my life more like God wants me to live it, I
    would devote a lot more of my life to active service of my community.
    
    -- Mike

Re .1

Good question, Bubba.  For the sake of this topic, I guess I deliberately
left the issue of how one knows God's will up to the individual contributor.

Re .2
I feel much like you do, Michael.  Only I would add more to it.

I believe I need to become less hypocritical.  For example, I ought to be
able to be as patient and understanding with members of my own household as
I am with friends and people I don't know very well.  Like most people,
I have my "backstage behaviors," as sociologists call it.

I also believe I live too extravagantly.  I am too caught up in the consumer
mentality so prevelent in our society.  I am too addicted to physical comfort
and socio-economic security, and not dependant enough on Providence.

I believe my witness should be less hesitant and more profound.  I believe
I should be more willing to risk; more vulnerable.

Peace,
Richard

    This is a tough question Richard.  Part of me believes I am living my
    life as God/ATI has planned (in accordance with Divine order/master
    plan and all that) yet with my own free will.  That everything is as it
    should be.
    
    Another part of me feels that I'm not yet doing what I mainly came here
    to do - that is serving God by serving humanity through the healing
    arts (bodywork and body-centered psychotheraphy).  But I am working
    towards that and getting there!  ;')
    
    Ro
    

    
    
    I think the shoulds, oughts, could have beens, would have beens,
    regrets, etc. would be in perspective and I would realize that I
    really am doing the best that I can.
    
    I also, think that I would be more response able to direction.
    
    Just can't get rid of that would ;-)
    
    Ellen

    I look at this as an ongoing and interrelated process that comes
    about through a close and ongoing relationship with God.
    
    For me, this means recieving the Sacraments frequently, praying daily,
    and reading Scripture (at least a little) daily. It also means being
    obedient and open to the Holy Spirit as it is at work in both my
    faith and also my own spiritual direction.
    
    What I'm talking about is called sanctification, dying to self and
    taking on Christ so as to allow Christ to act through me rather than
    to crowd Him out to do my own thing. There is always another layer of
    the 'onion' of self to get peeled away. I know what 'layer' the
    Holy Spirit is working on through prayer and hearing God in the
    Scripture. I recieve the grace needed to change primarily through the
    Sacraments.
    
    Peace,
    
    Mary
    

    I guess I didn't really answer the questions proposed in .0 .
    
    How would my life be affected :  I'd be more genuine, more loving,
    				     more forgiving, more generous, more
    				     self-sacrificing, and more joyous.
    
    What changes might I encounter : The need to die to self; need to be
    				     obedient to God and Church; need to
    				     not hang on to things, both materially
    				     and emotionally. A need to be more 
    				     honest and to give up many of
    				     societies 'pleasures' which are really
    				     harmful (gossip, judgementalism, 
    				     competitiveness, much TV and music,
    				     illicit pleasures, etc.) I might have
    				     to distance myself from certain
    				     friends, avoid a promotion, give up
    				     time or money, accept less materially.
    				     Be more evangelical.
    
    One cannot do these things by human willpower, but with God it is 
    possible. 
    
    Peace,
    
    Mary
    

      While out house hunting this weekend one of the places we looked
     at was owed by a very nice and very fervent Christian. Although
     his house wasn't what we were looking for he told us about some places
     he had looked at that we might want to check out.
      When we were leaving he said "Somewhere out there God has a nice
     house for you." The idea of God as some kind of divine real estate
     agent strikes me as a bit odd. So does the idea that God's plan
     for the universe has something in that says Mike Seabury is going
     to find a nice 3 bedroom colonial with a large fenced yard on a
     low traffic street. 
       To tell you the truth I am sometimes pretty surprised by what some
     Christians think God has in mind for them. Some have them have told
     me that know exactly what God expects them to do because he has told
     them quite clearly.
       As I see it to "be more" requires some basic things: compassion,
     generosity, a willingness to listen and lend a helping hand. To me
     me these are the result how we view the world and our basic beliefs.
       If there is a God I'd hate to have to explain why I sat around
     waiting for instructions when I already posses the basic equipment
     and knowledge required. Who knows, maybe God's plan is that you have
     figure it out by yourself. 

                                                             Mike
       
 

Richard,

>If your life were to become more like what you believe God wants your
>life to be, how would your life be affected?  What changes might you
>encounter?

 I look to God's word to understand what he asks of me. The following 
are quotes from The New World Translation (any typo's I own). Some 
verses that come to mind are regarding "personality". Paul has a bit 
to say about this.
Ephesians 4:22-24 "that YOU should put away the old personality which
conforms to YOUR former course of conduct and which is being corrupted
according to his deceptive desires; but that YOU should be made new in
the force actuating YOUR mind, and should put on the new personality
which was created according to God's will in true righteousness and
loyalty"
Colossians 3:9,10 " Do not be lying to one another. Strip off the old
personality with it's practices, and clothe yourselves with the new
[personality], which through accurate knowledge is being made new 
according to the image of the One who created it,"

So as we study God's thoughts to us through his word, the Bible we can
gain accurate knowledge. By applying the principles we learn on behavior,
moral etc. we are in effect stripping off the old personality and putting
on a new one. This isn't done all at once, nor is it done once and then 
finished. I guess it could be compared to putting white wash over a barn
that was red. One coat and it starts to change, two or three more coats
and it's a white barn. Stop painting it for a time (i.e. stop taking in
and applying God's word on matters) and pretty soon the red starts showing
through again.

       robin

    Re: .8
    
        I think that fervent Christian houseowner was expressing a very
    basic optimism that God, through the Holy Spirit, will make all
    things work to the good for those who love Him. I have only really
    begun to have the same kind of faith in my own life. Matt 6:25-34
    repeatedly comes to mind.
    
        As I see it, it isn't that we become lazy in the expectation that
    God will provide. Instead, we cooperate with the Holy Spirit's 
    actions in our lives without worry. This takes prayer and getting
    the clutter (particularly sin) out of one's life. I find that it also
    takes steps in faith; the first one is to calm down and not allow
    negative thoughts to prey on my mind. The only way to make them
    flee is to counter them with affirmations of God's care for me.
    
        With every victory it becomes easier to meet the next problem
    or crisis with confidence in God. Another thing that is just 
    beginning to be clear to me is that if no doors seem to be opening
    for me than it is because those avenues would be wrong for me; II
    no longer try to force open those doors, but I relax and understand
    that where I'm at is where He wants me to be. Otherwise, He'd open
    the door!!! Trust in God must be in His timing also.
    
        Several times when the Jewish leaders tried to endanger Jesus,
    he simply walked away; no one could touch him because it was not
    his time yet. Likewise, for Christians, we have God's same care.
    
        If God allows something negative (from our perspective) to happen
    to us, we need to remember that God allowed it for a GOOD purpose
    that is often beyond our ability to percieve. We often are
    short-sighted when it comes to our desires; human comforts and 
    fulfillment is usually an important concern for us. God's primary
    concern is for our eternal salvation. If we experience trials and
    sorrows on this earth (and who doesn't) our best recourse is to
    surrender ourselves to God and to seek His way through the ordeal;
    allow the Father to mold us into the image of Christ in our spirit.
    The spiritual treasures that come from this will be truely beyond
    the comprehension of the world.
    
        It is my experience that truely discovering how to be more like
    Christ or what God's plans are for me is not obtained in one act
    of faith or one bolt of lightning from the sky. Rather, it has been
    in little daily steps and acts of faith and obedience which later
    congeal into the recognition of something that suddenly 'makes sense'
    to me. It is like putting together a puzzle of a scene without a 
    picture guide; for some time one has to put pieces together without
    really knowing what the picture is portraying; finally, enough pieces
    are in place that one can see, with confidence, what the scene will
    be.
    
    Peace of Jesus,
                                                        
    Mary
    
    

    I have often said something similar to what  the homeowner said to you,
    Mike.  Yet, I try to take total responsibility for my life and actions. 
    However, I view it as an 'active surrender'.  For instance, do all the
    things necessary to sell the house (advertising, real estate agents,
    etc), but then knowing that when the right time and right buyer appear,
    the house will sell.  Letting go of the outcome. 
    
    Ro
    

    Here's my take on it.
    
    I don't think that God intervenes in the world so that everything will
    always be for the best, I don't think that if we trust in God
    everything will always work out, and I don't think that everything bad
    that happens to us always necessarily serves a more ultimate good.

    I do think, however, that God *wishes* the best for us, and continually
    offers us the possibilities that lead us forward.  I believe that God
    calls us at all times, and that the best we can do is listen and heed
    that voice.  That doesn't mean that everything will all work out for us
    in our lives.  It simply means that we, as spiritual people, are more
    in touch with what is best in ourselves (and that of God within
    ourselves) when we follow God's continual lure.  That is reward enough,
    from my point of view.  I don't even see that as a case of "obeying"
    God so much as listening to an infinitely wise Teacher.

    -- Mike

<      When we were leaving he said "Somewhere out there God has a nice
<     house for you." The idea of God as some kind of divine real estate
<     agent strikes me as a bit odd. So does the idea that God's plan

   Mike,

   When I first read that it left me flat, as if it were not sincere.
   I thought about it, I really tried to see different things.
   Here is what I got.

    It was a pleasent wish that you find what you seek.

    It acknowleged that the house you may find was concieved by someone
    else for reasons different than yours.

    Recognition that God(karma) created a house(s) that have you name
    on them for several futures.

   Just some thoughts on how I see things from time to time.

   Allison

    Mike V.,
    
    I like your answer better than mine; it more truly fits my feelings
    about the subject than I was able to put into words.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Ro
    

    Re. Last Few


        Yes, I realize he was wishing me good luck in is own way and
      he seemed to be a very sincere and decent person. 
        I guess I was just commenting on the fact that many Christians
      I know frequently say that a something going on in there life
      is "Up to God" or it will "Work out according to what God has
      planned." To me these often seem to be things that I think of
      as just some of things you end up having to do in life.  Maybe
      it helps people deal with some of the stress and strain of
      life.