I have been trying to describe how our relationship with Jesus is what the gospel is about. And I have been trying to describe what it should look like.
I have described what rules we should follow and responses we should give. All true, but not enough.
I was with a group of people recently, sharing what was going on in each person's life. One person mentioned that it seemed like either God had stepped up his activity, or that this person was becoming more aware of his activity. And the group began to share different moves of God each one had experienced recently, how they had responded and its effect on people. It was punctuated with such phrases as "God told me", "God said" or "I felt God wanted."
God created us as communicating beings. And he is by nature a communicator. And though he doesn't communicate for the most part using audible words (although, I read a story, where a man said he believed God spoke to him audibly, and relatively recently), but part of the adventure is this moment by moment partnership. God attempting to use us as a laser, hitting the right spot with the right strength. So, somehow a person stays in tuned in, or regularly checks in, to get the fine adjustments to the current assignment.
Still, there are many ways this can play out. There are expectations based on culture, upbringing and personal history. There are responses based on spiritual gift, temperment, passion and place in the mission.
Culture can create strong individualism and strong community. There are strengths inherent in each. Community can draw on more resources and apply them to a common goal or problem. Gifts, talents, and passions give value and impact to each one's contribution.
Our walks and experiences of God are influenced by contexts of Jesus' commands, Jesus' expectations of what our motives, our behavior and our attitudes should be, the resources he gives us to contribute to his family and his mission, and our ability to maintain a close communion with him.
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