Are You Really Getting God?

Insights for Life's Journey

The first step to Getting God is recognizing Him for who He is. Unfortunately, our image of God is often not who He really is. That image has often slipped into one of misunderstandings, myths, and irrelevance based on a culture of instant gratification and superhero movies.

He is not the great fireman in the sky who rescues us from hell. Nor is He the Superman policeman who protects us from evil. And He is definitely not the genie who pops out of the lamp to magically grant us wishes.

If He is none of these, then who is He? Why would I need Him?

Before We Move On - A Note

Before we go on, I wanted to take some time to talk to you about my blog and my goals. I going to give you the big picture, tell you a little about myself, and tell why I am writing this Blog

Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to check out a few of the posts in this blog: “What in the World Are You Doing?” and “Are You Weary?” If not, just click the links above, then come back here.

I think knowing the big picture of where we are going will help you understand each post in its proper context. I believe understanding how the pieces fit together will encourage you to continue following “Getting God - Insights for Life’s Journey.” Hope to see you back often. Feel free to like and leave comments. (it helps the distribution) - Thanks for reading. — Jim

Can We Really Get God?

Scripture teaches He is a personal being. One we can know! ¹ Frances A. Schaeffer, an American Evangelical Christian theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor, best describes and supports this conclusion in his book, “25 Bible Studies.”

He summarizes as follows:

Ephesians 1:4 (and I included 5 for clearer understanding)

“just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,...”

• Observation - God has a plan, i.e., that He thinks and thinks ahead.

Genesis 1:1 (and following) –

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ... “

• Observation -God not only thinks, but He acts

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

• Observation - God not only thinks and acts, but God feels. Love is an emotion; thus, God is personal. These three characteristics are distinguishing marks of a personality, i.e., He thinks, He acts, and He feels.

The God Who Is There ² …

We conclude from the above that God is a personal being, capable of action and emotion. His love (an emotion!) for us is evident through His actions, demonstrating His deep desire for a personal relationship with each of us.

Because He created us in His image, we can naturally form relationships, including a personal relationship with Him. It is rational and logical to conclude that because He created us, this divine connection is possible, and something God earnestly desires.

Although God understands us completely and how to relate to us, we don’t fully understand Him or how to relate to Him.

Our instinctive desire to understand God is something often dismissed or suppressed by those who do not believe in the supernatural, i.e., that a supreme being exists.

Yet that desire remains, suppressed or not, and drives us to find meaning and purpose in our lives.

To fill that desire, we must recognize “The God Who is There ²,” we must continually seek to have and keep the kind of relationship with Him that fills our innermost emptiness and makes us the best version of ourselves according to His intention.

Our Human Efforts at Understanding

Yet, humans cannot think about our lives or God in the same seamless and universal way God thinks and understands.  So, we try to organize our thoughts in ways and into concepts we, as humans, can understand.

We naturally encounter overlapping themes and thoughts as we strive to organize and understand our lives. The most essential principles intersect across different areas of our lives, like a detailed mosaic. 

Each area of this mosaic is distinct yet essential to the overall picture. When we seek to understand a specific area, we delve into its various details, recognizing how it contributes to the beauty and complexity of the entire mosaic.  However, the theme or message of the mosaic can only be fully appreciated when viewed as a whole.

Like the mosaic, we need to examine distinct parts or topics that, when combined, form the basis of “Getting God.” 

Most of the topics in this blog will fall into one of three general categories: Getting on the Right Track, Getting Yourself, and Getting Relationships.

Organizing Our Thoughts

 Sometimes, an article clearly falls into more than one category. Other times, you might think it belongs in a different category than mine. That’s OK and expected. As I explained above, it is a natural result of all parts of our lives intertwining.

Getting on the Right Track

In general, “Getting on the Right Track” is about our relationship with God and obstacles that may keep us from relating as He intended. Articles in this category are about what God expects from us as believers because we can only get on the right track if we understand what He wants in that relationship.

The post “What in the World Are You Doing?” falls into this category. Guess which category this post falls into?

These articles involve gaining a deeper understanding and perspective of the basic doctrines about God and His attributes and what He expects of us in our relationship with Him. Only when we know and understand these can we fully relate to Him as He expects.

Getting Yourself 

The next category, “Getting Yourself,” is about understanding how God wants us to think about ourselves as His creation. Only when we are in the right relationship with ourselves as God intended can we be in the right relationship with God and function as He desires. The post “Are You Weary?” falls into this category.

The importance of our relationship with ourselves is often overlooked in this verse, where Jesus responds to a question about the greatest commandments. In the second part of his answer, Jesus says:

(Mark 12:31), “... The second is this: ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

We could and will in the future talk at length about this commandment and what it means. For now, simply accept that “yourself” includes your emotional (think mental health), intellectual, physical, and spiritual well-being.  If any of these are off from what God intended, we will be limited in our ability to function as fully as God intended.

Getting Relationships

The last category of articles, “Getting Relationships,” seeks to examine and understand how God wants us to relate to the world and the people around us.  The world part of this category includes our relationship with the material world.

This includes our finances, entertainment, activities, organizations, the environment, our jobs, and how we spend our time. We will try to understand how those relationships fit into God's plan for us and His creation.

The Need for Getting God

God is personal, actively seeking a relationship with you, and wants you to be the best version of yourself possible.  Whether you’re relatively young in the faith or have been a Christian for a long time, all of us still have room to grow.

Consider 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB):

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

The jest of this is that we are all on a journey of continually being transformed into the image, i.e. the likeness of Christ. Since none of us are there yet, clearly, we still have a journey ahead of us.

Experience - The Master Teacher

I don’t pretend to be the all-knowing expert, but I believe I have a unique perspective born of diverse life experiences in equally diverse settings and God called me to share.

My experiences and insights don’t make me better or greater than you or anyone else. They are just different … watering existing seeds and planting new ones that God will harvest in His time.

So, over the years, I've worn many hats: Bible study leader, devotional writer, deacon, and occasional preacher. I've served in staff and lay positions in multiple churches, discovering a new facet of ministry each time. Sometimes, I've taught deep dives into Scripture. Other times, I've counseled pastors or led church committees.

But my experience isn't limited to church walls. I've also had the challenges of balancing faith with a secular career in sales, senior management, the federal government and IT. I've even started a few businesses. Trust me, with three children, I understand the stress of juggling work, family, and spiritual life!

However, through this blend of sacred and secular, God has given me a unique perspective on applying Biblical knowledge, wisdom, and faith to real-world challenges. Indeed, life has thrown its share of curveballs. And I have learned from both the good and bad experiences.

Let my experiences help you to overcome hidden obstacles, myths, misunderstandings, or a lack of knowledge keeping you from a fuller life, fully connected to God. Let me encourage you in your walk as we journey to a more connected relationship with God.

The Journey: Getting God - Insights for Life

I hope you will stick around as we explore and understand how “Getting God” can help you grow and maintain the positive, spirit-filled life God intends for you.

If you seek different insights, need encouragement, or want to understand the scripture better, perhaps from a different perspective about how we should relate to God, “Getting God” is for you. 

Join us as we seek to become the best version of ourselves, serving God and leading others to Him.

Last Things

I'm excited to share that I'll offer a subscription plan for just $5 a month or $55 a year beginning next week. Don't worry; you'll still have access to all the free articles with your current subscription.

With your current subscription, you’ll get about one per week. However, with the paid subscription, for about the cost of one cup of coffee per month at Starbucks, you'll get more posts and, over time, even more exclusive content!

I don’t expect to get rich, but an online presence is not free. Your paid subscription will help with the costs. Thanks for being part of this journey with me. Your support means the world! 💖

¹Schaeffer, Francis A., and Francis A. Schaeffer. 25 Basic Bible Studies: Including Two Contents, Two Realities. Copyright © L’Abri Fellowship, Crossway Books, 1996.

²Schaeffer, Francis A. The God Who Is There: Speaking Historic Christianity into the Twentieth Century. IVP Books, 2009.