I’ve had so many questions about the approach I took in writing The Nature of Freedom (my latest book), namely that it is a “letter from God” to us. SO, I thought I’d share the introduction of the book to lend a bit more context. Regardless of whether you ever read the book or not, I hope the following reflections on how to better cultivate a Divine conversation will help on your journey! – G
Our journey is not just about our destination, but also concerns how we engage with the Lord in the context of His involvement in all of life’s situations and processes.
He is eternally joyful, generous, loving, kind, patient and good. We are in the process of learning to become as unchanging as He is.
The Nature of Freedom is written in the first person. The idea is that if God were sitting with you in your personal space with Him, what would He most want you to know about this life He chooses to live in you? How does He see you, think about you and relate to you? How would He speak and connect with every area of your life?
As you engage with the passionate heart of God in a Divine conversation…
Take time to sit, read and listen to what God desires to say to you and hear the resonant kindness, gentleness and passion in His voice.
Pay attention to what rises up in your heart towards Him: gratitude, astonishment, relief, joy, affirmation and possibly the desire to tell Him, “I knew life with You could be like this!” He loves to hear those words.
Embrace the challenges to your previous mindsets. Is this who you’ve known God to be — or is there a new experience of Him that emerges as you read?
Is there anything that surprises you? It’s okay to be perplexed (Acts 10:17-20) but remember, God is not the author of confusion, we are. In our walk with the Lord He is always teaching us how to think because that is the definitive key to growth (Proverbs 23:7, Romans 12:2, I Corinthians 2:12-16). When He challenges our thinking, He creates an opportunity for us to unlearn something so that we are no longer stuck.
Think about the consequences for God in the truth that He lays before you. If He gives you a command, a promise or permission then He has to act towards you in the same context as you, so that together you can explore the truth that sets you free.
For example, if He gives you permission to “Even so, consider yourself to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11), this impacts on Him and His relationship with you because He also must consider you dead, which means He cannot work on the old man or be sin conscious towards you!
He loves consequences and joyfully binds Himself to them for our sake.
Consider the questions of exploration that are embedded in these letters. They will help unwrap your thinking, expand your heart and consider your responses.
When you receive a letter from a dear friend, you don’t respond with an academic paper! So throughout this journal, there are invitations to craft a letter to God to capture your thoughts about His thoughts—your feelings about His passion and compassion for you.
We keep precious letters from our loved ones and pore over them again and again. That’s a great way to approach this journal. As you read and reread His letters to you, explore them more deeply.
Always ask,
- “What are the key truths here?”
- “What aspects of God’s nature are being revealed to me?” “Who does He want to be for me in this situation?”
- “What are the key breakthroughs in these truths?”
- “What obstacle can you overcome with these truths?”
- “What new part of your identity did you discover in this dialogue?”
When God presents us with truth He is inviting us to upgrade our relationship with Him. If you lived in this upgrade what would change for you? Take time out to write and reflect on it.
What are you discovering that you would like to explore further? What interaction with the Lord is available that you may not have considered before or you are now considering in a fresh way?
How is God’s presence more real to you through these letters? Write a short statement and include a real world example of how you are engaging Him differently.
Love the learning. If what you read clashes with your perception of truth, be a good Berean (Acts 17:10-11) and search for the truth without prejudice.
There is no transformation outside of a renewed mind. Enjoy the journey into thinking differently and being with God in a fresh way!
PS) Once again, this is the introduction of The Nature of Freedom. HOWEVER, you can download Chapter One now HERE as a free preview. All I need is an email address.
PPS) If reading a “letter from God” sounds like something you’re interested in, you can pre-order The Nature of Freedom today. And if you do so before November 1, I’ll give you all kinds of fun bonuses. 🙂 LEARN MORE HERE.
