Spiritual Pathways

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A sister in Beijing told me once about this idea of different spiritual pathways to experiencing God. It's from John Ortberg's "God is Closer Than You Think." These are the different pathways:

1. Intellectual Pathway - "... draw closer to God as they learn more about Him."
2. Relational Pathway - "... have a deep sense of God's presence when they're involved in significant relationships."
3. Serving Pathway - "... God's presence seems most tangible when they're involved in helping others."
4. Worship Pathway - "... have a natural gift for expression and celebration."
5. Activist Pathway - "You have a passion to act."
6. Contemplative Pathway - "God is most present to you when distractions and noises are removed."
7. Creation Pathway - "... have a passionate ability to connect with God when they are experiencing the world He made."

I think I'm #1, 3, 6, and 7 :) How bout you?
It makes sense, knowing God, that He would allow us different pathways to experiencing Him. He doesn't expect us all to have to sit in a quiet room to experience Him deeply. Like when I'm studying my Bio books (I guess the intellectual pathway), it leads me into this deep worship and awe of Him, and God has told me different times through prophecy that He loves when I study the details of His creation. This pathways idea makes it more clear that God wants us to experience Him just as much when we study, hang out, serve, etc. as when we wait/pray in the stillness.

Comments

Linda Jo said…
i like this alot! i think that i am 1, 4, 6, 7 and possibly 3, not sure.

:3 i love studying science because it's just so beautiful. i think i teared up once learning about physiology or biochem or something like that. hahahaha.
April 24, 2011 at 1:34 PM
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