Not only does the love of God go beyond my understanding, the concept of God in general, can be very daunting. When I sit and dwell on Him, I find it hard to believe. Wow, that is the problem! I sit and dwell and find it hard to believe. First, I NEED TO GET UP!! Second, I need stop trying to believe and start knowing what there is to know. As I go about my daily life, my struggles, disappointments, and triumphs I start to know who and how God is in all that I do.
In my recovery process/life experiences, my concept of "God" has changed numerous times. Let me rephrase that, it has grown and developed like any other relationship I have had. I am always changing; therefore, my ideas and beliefs are changing as well. This change is from a deeper understanding. It is not because I am trying to fit God into my life it is because my understanding of God has grown.
"The measure of intelligence is the ability to change."
Albert Einstein.
This topic of "The God of My Understanding," Had come up while I was taking part in a 12 Step program. This Program was part of a halfway house called "The Potters House" which I was managing at the time. I was asked to share my ideas on the subject. The "God of My Understanding" is a huge part of the Spirituality concept in the 12 Step program. It was no secrete that I do not totally agree with this concept. So, I was torn between following the general concept of the 12 steps and going with my heart and knowledge of the God of the Bible. Here are the central ideas I was exploring at the time.Please do not judge me for my beliefs. They do come from a spirit of love and admiration for all those who have battled the dragon of addition.
I did not share all these thoughts. I found it was wise not to try to push my beliefs or understanding on others. My objective was to bring out the fact that our understanding can lead us down a dark tunnel with no light at the end. Or, lift us up together as a community of God seekers.
I used to hold the popular image of God, he who sits up high, watching over all. But now, I have given my will over to a much more personal sense of God, the voice that persists inside my being, guiding me through each day. As I have said numerus times "It is not God who bends, but ourselves". God remains the same yesterday, today, and for all my future endeavors. Knowing Him and understanding who He is, has become a life long journey.
This journey has brought me through many good and bad places. I believe the most important thing in establishing a sense of higher power is recognizing that it is not me who has ultimate control over my life. Yes, this thought is a little unsettling. Once I was able to see and accept that having total control was not something I was ever good at anyway, I no longer wanted the job.
That does not dismiss the idea that I do not have a say in what happens. I have a calm spirit knowing that as I grow in my understanding, I also have developed a sense of faith in myself. I have faith that I will do the next right thing, no matter how difficult, may not only keep me out of trouble but also give me a better sense of my surroundings and purpose in life. A sense of purpose I believe, is something that has been built into us. Without purpose we would not have the desire to exist. There must be a reason for our existence.
In the end, I am convinced, that the God of my understanding must be greater than my understanding. I put a lot of stock in knowing this. So when we fail again, when we run into a problem where there doesn't seem to be a solution, or when days seem too dark to go on, we must remember: God is greater than our understanding, therefore he is trustworthy even when we can't understand the way out, when we can not understand beyond our own understanding. So my purpose in life is to have a relationship with God, to better understand Him, and to share that understanding with everyone I meet.