Coming to God Yourself

The best insights ultimately come from God, not me.

Several months ago, I was speaking at a retreat. During each session of a retreat, I usually like to reserve some space for a time of Q&A where people can ask any questions they have. I typically get questions asking me to speak into a particular situation in life. For example, one of the questions asked at this particular retreat had to do with navigating a relationship that was turning quite negative. What this person was asking for was some insight or wisdom that will help them work through this problem they were facing.

Now I could readily speak into this situation with Bible verses and advice from my own past experiences. I like to think that I have gained some wisdom over the years that could be helpful to others. However, the best way to really help a person like this is to actually encourage them to find insight and wisdom for themselves. And the best insights ultimately come from God, not me. It's one thing if I provide you with some insights about a situation. It's another thing if God speaks to you and directs your steps. I would rather someone hear from the Lord and obey that, rather than hear my advice and do what I may think is right.

So, with questions like this, I like to encourage people to seek God and His will for themselves. This means encouraging people to engage in times of prayer, read and study what Scripture has to say, and spend time in reflection and contemplation. By seriously engaging in these spiritual activities, a person can discern how God wants them to go about navigating a problem that they're facing. God really wants to guide us in life. And I believe that if we take some time to just be in His presence and genuinely engage in the spiritual disciplines, God will provide us with the insight and wisdom that we need for any situation.

Although I may not have answered this person's question directly, I hope that I was able to provide something more valuable—the idea that they can come to God and ask Him for insight and wisdom for the problem they are facing. Hopefully, they will grow to have a close and vibrant relationship with Christ so that they can hear from Him at any time and for any situation that may arise in the future.

Barnabas the Monastic

Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.