More of God

Have you ever wanted more of God? What does that mean? More of God. For most people it means they want to feel God’s presence more. They want to talk with God and have Him answer. In my own life I always want to know “how.” So I ask myself, “How can I have more of God? How do I feel His presence more in my life? How do I keep distractions away? How do I integrate in me both Mary and Martha? The active and the contemplative?”

I look to Jesus for the answers. What did He do when He wanted more of His father? He made time to be alone. It didn’t just happen. He had to do something. Matthew 14:23 says, “After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.” If He had simply waited for everyone to go away, it may never have happened.

In John 6:15 the verse says that Jesus “withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.” He must have slipped away, maybe while no one was looking. And yet He says throughout the Gospel of John that although He was alone God had not left Him. Jesus says in John 16:32, “...yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.” So if we want more of God with us, it would be good if we do what Jesus did and make time to be alone.

You are probably thinking, “Yes, but I have work and kids and church and a million other things!” Jesus did, too. At different times He was surrounded by crowds, assailed by accusations of religious leaders, teaching His disciples, dealing with family, attending synagogue, speaking in the temple. He, too, was a busy man. He had his own distractions from the world. So how did He stay focused on God and on His purpose? It seems obvious that He took advantage of opportunities during His day to slip away for solitude.

What if you don’t like being alone? I am convinced that one of the reasons Martha was upset with Mary was that she was left alone, and she didn’t like it. Read Luke 10:40 again from the New American Standard version, “...Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." (emphasis added)

At first you may not know what to do with yourself or your thoughts. You may sit alone for a minute or two and give up because you’re bored and think being alone is not interesting. Or all you can think about is all the other things you should be doing. But if you practice aloneness, it will soon focus your attention. The quiet will fine tune your spiritual ears to hear His voice. And after a while you will notice that you look forward to your solitude and your quiet time.

If we want more of God, we must be willing to give God more of us. In the quiet and in the solitude He will come to meet us there. Soon, like Jesus, we’ll be able to say, “I am not alone, because the Father is with me.”

Copyright 2009 Gloria Fisher.
All rights reserved.