Living Closer to God Brings Transformation
Living closer to God initiates transformation. This transformation is a radical makeover of who we are at our very core.
Living Close to God Leads to Generosity
Generosity is not a natural state of being for most of us. We are not innately generous creatures. Rather, we are endowed with an orientation to survive, and we give survival our own definition.
Living Close to God Brings us Hope
Living ever so close to the Holy One works as an anchor stabilizing life in the midst of life’s most threatening crises.
Living Closely With God Enables Love to Abound
Intentionally living close to God is like living in the sunshine.
Living Close to God Brings Joy
God’s Spirit actually lives within us. Quite close! As the reality of this truth slowly matures within us, our joy expands, filling in the hidden recesses of our souls.
Living Closer to God Leads to Freedom
The burden of daily living is so ever present we assume it is normal. However, freedom coming with an intimate relationship with God can and should become the new normal.
Exposing and Overcoming Our Biases
Living closely with God is enlightening. It shines light on our inner lives - our weaknesses and biases, making us more circumspect. The revelation of how we really are, with all of our flaws, is shocking and exceedingly hard to accept. If we are not already depressed, we become depressed at learning about our true selves.
Two Phases of Life With God
Life with God has two phases. Life with God on this earth is the penultimate - life before the ultimate - life in the here and now.
Unveiling the Purpose of our Existence
We begin this essay with what might be a shattering statement:
We do not exist for our own sake, but for God’s pleasure.
A Life Changing Pursuit
Living closer to God is potentially a life changing pursuit. As we pursue this promising journey, it is critical to clarify whether we are thinking about God as an idea, or God as a potent existential reality in our lives. There is a huge difference!
“Learning to Live Closer to God” by Fred Castor
Learning to live closer to God requires us to take a step beyond our current stance and move into a significantly different and more intimate relationship with God. This step should be taken consciously and deliberately.
Learning to Live Closer to God Series
Introducing a new 15 week devotional by Pr. Fred Castor. Weekly postings will begin May 3rd.