Foundational Truths of My Life With God

I came across this again as I was preparing for our "Recovery Group" at church. I was teaching on the practice of the presence of God, and remembered this gem.

1. God is always present and active in my life, whether or not I see him.
2. Coming to recognize and experience God's presence is learned behavior; I can cultivate it.
3. My task is to meet God in this moment.
4. I am always tempted to live "outside" this moment. When I do that, I lose my sense of God's presence.
5. Sometimes God seems far away for reasons I do not understand. Those moments, too, are opportunities to learn.
6. Whenever I fail, I can always start again right away.
7. No one knows the full extent to which a human being can experience God's presence.
8. My desire for God ebbs and flows, but his desire for me is constant.
9. Every thought carries a "spiritual charge" that moves me a little closer to or a little farther from God.
10. Every aspect of my life - work, relationships, hobbies, errands - is of immense and genuine interest to God.
11. My path to experiencing God's presence will not look quite like anyone else's.
12. Straining and trying too hard do not help.

Review these truths once a day for two weeks as you cultivate the practice of God's presence.

[from John Ortberg, God is Closer Than You Think, p. 27]