Embracing God's Presence: The Habit of Connection

The Christian faith is understood the teach is that God is everywhere that God himself is actually much larger than the universe, and um, that uh, uh for instance the psalmist in Psalm 139 says wherever I go if I Rise up to the heavens you're there if I make my bed and she'll if I'm just in hell in the worst darkest place you're there even if the night and the Darkness surround me the darkness is not dark to you you'll be there. [00:02:03]

Paul gives to people in Athens when he goes there he's on what's called Marcel and he wants to try to tell him about God and about Jesus and he says I saw this altar to an unknown God so I'll tell you about it uh the God who is Lord of the heavens of the earth made everything was not created by human hands done living in Temple doesn't need us to serve him rather he gives, he gives us life he gives breath, he gives everything to his creatures. [00:02:35]

For he is not far from each one of us, that's where God is not God is not far away wherever you are today whatever is going on in your life whatever looks dark or Bleak or difficult or joyful or good God is not far away, and remarkably Paul when he says this is not talking to a church he's not talking to a bunch of people who believe uh all the right stuff he's talking to people who have never even heard about Jesus. [00:03:27]

We are learning about habits our lives are a massive habit we are developing the habit of saying this is God's day I'll rejoice in it each day and what I want to talk about today is these single habit that will help you build strong relationships strong friendships strong marriage uh family parenting more than any other single connection this is from a researcher maybe the number one marital researcher in our day by the name of John gottman. [00:04:16]

Dallas Willard used to say that your life is basically experienced it's the ceaseless flow of awareness thought desire looking at there's the sun there's green I love that getting to talk to you getting to think about great thoughts our life is experienced and the connection or intimacy is shared experience and what happens is all the time we give to each other what the government's called bids for connection. [00:05:00]

We can either turn toward or turn away be neutral or turn against so for example, um if you're sitting at the breakfast table and your spouse size you could turn toward what's going on are you tired, indicate interest in caring or you could turn away just ignore pretend like you didn't hear it, or you could turn against what's your problem now, and then they would not be too likely to sigh again the next time. [00:05:51]

All the time we are offering bids for connection and responding to them one of the remarkable findings of the governments is that uh in couples that end up getting divorced when they studied them while they were still married they turned toward only 33 percent of the time when there would be a bid for connection, for couples that remain together and had a strong marriage they turned towards each other 86 percent of the time when there's a bid for connection. [00:06:42]

God wants to connect with you, God makes bibs for connections, one of the remarkable statements that Paul makes when he's teaching to those people in Rome is that God created us, he gives us life and breath and all things made the seasons he did this so that we might seek him, and perhaps fondle around fumble around to try to find him, so that we can be connected with him, in him we live and move and have our breathing he is not far away. [00:08:00]

Because he gives us our breath every breath is a bid for connection with God, it's God saying will you receive my spirit now would you receive my power in my life, the beauty of the earth creation the heavens declare the glory of God that's God's bid for connection would you just see when you look around you, would you hear the song of that bird and remember the one who feeds The Sparrows. [00:08:48]

Frustration itself is God's bid for connection you know if you just go after uh money or success or reputation or indulging anger it will not satisfy your soul let that frustration let that sigh let that grow remind you that you are made to be connected to me you don't ever have to be alone. [00:09:56]

The Habit to cultivate is the number one Habit to strengthen any relationship that you have when you are with people today be on the look at it could just be body language raise eyebrow a laugh a chuckle a comment, look for those when I see a bid for connection I will turn toward, and then be aware today as you go through the day to make bids for connection with other people. [00:10:22]

We find God in all things because every moment is a bid by our God who so loved the world that he gave his only son so that he could be connected with you so that you could know eternal life a participating relationship with God. [00:11:06]