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Using the Pathway to Seek God
The search for God and his will in our lives is not
always an easy thing. There seems to be no shortage
of people to tell us their opinions on this topic,
and their ideas differ widely.
Some see God as high on a throne, far from them and
out of touch with their daily lives. They believe
ancestors have a greater understanding and
appreciation for their family problems and for the
concerns of their particular area. Some believe
ancestors approach God on behalf of their families.
In this view, the Creator is too important and too
distant to care about individuals personally.
Others see God as a lawmaker and great policeman.
He communicates his law in the Bible or the Quran or
the traditions of their people. Then he waits for
people to make a mistake so he can punish them.
Rather than good news, this view emphasizes the bad
news to instill guilt and fear. It amazes me how
many people flock to hear preachers who feed them a
steady diet of how terrible they are and how God
wants to fry them!
A growing number of people see God as just the
opposite, an excessively lenient grandfather, who
only wants to spoil them by granting everything they
desire. No matter how they live, no matter how they
treat others, no matter how they fail to honor him,
they expect him to grant them miracles of good
health and abundant wealth through the power of some
holy person.
I don’t agree with any of these views of God. Do
you? Write me and tell me what you have learned
about God and his will for you. How can we know who
God is, what he expects of us and what he plans for
us? I may share your ideas in my next homepage
article on this subject. We want the African
Pathways website to be a pathway to God and his will
for those who are seeking him. |