How does God work with you? Do you know? How do you hear His voice? How do you understand what He wants you to do, what He wants to grow in your character, or what He thinks about you? What does He use to change you into who He wants you to be?
Sure, there are the Bible studies on “How to hear God’s voice.” There are plenty of people who interpret Scripture, preach theology, or tell their experience of God’s activity in their life. But what about you? How has God acted in your life? What are the characteristics of His interaction with you?
One of the core beliefs that most of us Christians share is that God has been active in human affairs throughout history, and that He is active in the world today. But He can and does show up in many different ways in our lives. How we experience Him depends on our own personality, history, life circumstances, and openness to hearing and seeing Him.
Over time I’ve come to understand some things about how God has worked in my life. Some of those things are very different from what I understood about God and His working as a young person. There have been a few more dramatic moments, but most of the time His working has been quiet but powerful. Here are a few of the ways He has dealt with me:
- Bringing an idea or concept to my awareness repeatedly from many different sources, but all pointing to one message
- “Divine discontent” – producing an irresistible uneasiness in my soul until I made the change He wanted me to
- Peace – a settled assurance of His smile when arriving at an important decision (See Colossians 3:15)
- “Divine disruption” – taking something I deemed necessary out of my life in order to prepare me for His next move
I could name many more. I’ve had dreams I know came from God. I’ve experienced His presence at various Christian events. God has used the time I have regularly invested in prayer, Bible study, reading Christian literature, and being around other growing believers to grow my character and understanding. I’m grateful that one of the early lessons I learned was to give God complete permission to do what He wanted with me.
“The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.” I remember hearing that message as a young woman, and it burned into my soul as it did that of Dwight L. Moody. I wanted to be a person who lived out that message.
But God may not work the same with you. He didn’t work with everyone in the Bible in the same way. David, Elijah, Peter – their personalities were all different, and God met them in the way they needed and could understand. What’s important is that you pay attention to how He deals with you.
I know people who God has had to “break” through discipline. (If that’s you, be encouraged. It demonstrates how deeply God loves you!) Some people seem to have a naturally keen eye to see into the world of the spirit, and God shows them things often. Some are regularly placed on the forefront of God’s battle against evil, and others just revel in His comfort and pass that on to others.
So once again, how does God work with you? Do you know?
Understanding How God Deals with You
If you want a better understanding of how God deals with you, here are some things to do:
- Give God permission to deal with you. In a word, ASK! God loves to answer prayers like this. He knows what He needs you to be. And He is well able to get you to that place.
- Keep showing up. God is patient, and you should be too. He won’t stop working with you unless you walk away. Determine to stick around long enough for God to do His work in you.
- Determine to keep on learning. This is one of the primary benefits of spiritual disciplines such as reading Scripture, prayer, fasting, contemplation, or worship. You regularly give God opportunities to grow you.
- Choose to pay attention. Pause and look back at how God has dealt with you in the past. And then tell Him Thank You. Noticing how He has led you in the past may help you be more aware of His next move.
Once again, how does God work with you?
Your Turn: What are one or two ways in which God has worked in your life? Leave a comment below.
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