Augustine: “When people choose to withdraw far from a fire, the fire continues to give warmth, but they grow colder. When people choose to withdraw far from light, the light continues to be bright in itself, but they are in darkness. This is also the case when people withdraw from God.”
Despite your busy-ness and frenzied pace, if deep inside, you feel cold, dark, or empty and purposeless, it is a likely signal of the need to draw closer to God.
Only the most hardened of atheists would not agree that mankind has a hunger for the being called God. Churches, mosques and temples abound in the world. Even the atheist must watch out, as the more atheistic one becomes, the more of a religion atheism becomes.
MY OPINION: You were designed to seek after God; so, growing distant from Him produces negative effects–mental, spiritual and ultimately physical–counter to your design. One cannot pursue a higher purpose than moving closer to Christ, The Light of the World.
QUESTIONS:
Examine your life—are you moving toward or away from The Light of the World?
Or, are you convinced that The Light does not exist—if so, how will you ever escape the dark?
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Amen. I am so moved that you are bold enough to use this platform to introduce the King of Kings to your audience. We sometimes fail to see that all things in heaven and on earth are subject to the Almighty One. Our own soul within us craves for His light yet our brains seek to deny Him and set up ourselves as god. We are doomed if we fail to acknowledge God and the power of His might; and more importantly, accept as truth that there is only one way to God and it’s through Jesus Christ. Thank you for the nudge and timely reminder. God bless you continually.
Deloree, you are welcome.
I know a man who saw the effect of a miracle and wanted it, but could not bring himself to accepting its source and cause.
Many would love to enjoy the freedom and wonder in which I live, despite my faults and many weaknesses, but cannot bring themselves to accept my explanation that my only true source is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; that if they trust and submit to Him, they too can off-load their burdens and enjoy the kind of freedom that surpasses understanding. Mmm…
It’s a thought-provoking perspective, and I appreciate your insight. While I acknowledge the importance of spiritual connection, I’m currently on a journey of exploration and growth. I find myself seeking meaning and fulfillment in various aspects of life, including personal relationships, intellectual pursuits, and contributing to the well-being of others. While I respect the significance of faith for many, I’m also discovering that my path forward involves embracing a broader spectrum of experiences and perspectives. As I continue to evolve, I’m open to discovering where my journey may lead, finding light and purpose in unexpected places along the way.
That is a good and open position, Romaine. Is the spectrum you want to embrace broad enough to include experiencing God? If your spectrum is not too narrow for that, I want to give you a challenge. Commit yourself to embracing the experiences and perspectives you can get from God–the One manifest as Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Do that with the sincerity and genuineness your message above conveys, and I could challenge you to find anything that could give you more meaning and fulfillment in every aspect of your life, including personal relationships, intellectual pursuits, and contributing to the well-being of others. I challenge you.
I’ve always been on the fence about religion, but I know deep down that I’m heading away from the light.I have no doubts about the existence of the light, but whenever the subject of religion or beliefs comes up, I’ve always backed off. I believe this is because I have a lot of unanswered questions. Though I’m presuming here, I believe the light shapes our attitudes, values, and gives our lives meaning and direction. Despite knowing this, I haven’t totally accepted the light. I understand that we are nothing without God,but unfortunately, I am currently questioning many things. I don’t agree with a lot of things, and it frequently causes my thoughts to wonder why I don’t just accept what is said.
Hi Adreana, I understand. Think of it this way: “Deep down” as you say, we all know that there is someone out there who is all powerful, good and worthy of worship, otherwise, evil would completely overtake the world. The scientist and infidel who push evolution as the source of life, have to be crazy, as order cannot emerge from disorder without an agent with intention.
. The question is, who is this being/agent? This invites a search for God–the real one; the eternal one. If you have not yet found him, take heart–he has already found you, otherwise, you would not even have the appetite to wonder about him. Jesus said that nobody can come to the Lord except that the Spirit of the Lord draw that person (John 6:44). Continue your search with this promise: If you draw near to God, he will draw near to you (James 4:8).
. Finally, consider that if we don’t understand a thing, it does not invalidate the thing; it only invites the search for more understanding. Read the bible. Pray. Talk with sincere Christians. “If you will search for me with all your heart, you will surely find me.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
The topic of faith/religion is something that I struggle to fully deal with. My stance is more lukewarm. Like Adreanna, I feel myself slowly moving away from the light or perhaps I have just never been fully entuned to the light. I have faith but I find its not as strong as it’s supposed to be especially since I was raised in a religious household where we are always expected to turn to God. I’m struggling right now to finds words to convey how I feel about the topic. Again, like Adreanna & Romaine I’m trying to find my path and I don’t fully agree with all that’s being taught and said, and I also have a lot of questions. I think my journey with Christ and spirituality and learning how to walk in his words and in his authority is something that I need to continuously work on and hope as I continue to evolve, I will gravitate more towards the light.
I agree that Christ is the light of the world and he does bring us closest to our true purpose. I seek to draw closer to his light daily as it provides peace, joy and comfort. All the positive emotions are associated with the light of the world and there is always a solution to your problems. This light teaches us resilience and it is necessary to have this trait to overcome whatever challenges we face. I hope to place Jesus at the forefront of my life and to be closer drawn to him each day.
In Augustine’s analogy, withdrawing from God is akin to moving away from a source of warmth and light, resulting in a sense of coldness and darkness within oneself. This sentiment resonates deeply with the human condition, suggesting that regardless of one’s beliefs or disbeliefs, there exists an inherent longing for connection with something greater. Whether one acknowledges it or not, the pursuit of meaning and purpose often leads back to the concept of a divine presence. Reflecting on my own life, I recognize the importance of moving closer to the metaphorical “Light of the World” for fulfillment and understanding. It’s a journey of introspection and faith, wherein each step towards embracing this light brings clarity and warmth to the soul.
As a Christian, sometimes i feel close to God while other times i feel like i am drifting with the choices that I make but i tend not to drift too far because i know i will be closer to him in due time. What I want to do is stop drifting and stay as close as possible.
upon examining my life, I am moving towards the light of the world. I am a Christian but have fallen short of his glory but I do believe that the drift happens due to social issues and personal ones too. majority of the times i have many unanswered questions and that have also impacted my drift to the light of the world.
While I definitely agree that God can fill all empty voids, going back to Him in low times is easier said than done. The truth is we know when we are in the dark and want to escape. Sometimes taking that first step towards God is really hard; especially when we know our actions have disappointed Him and we are undeserving of His love.