Reaching for God. Searching for Peace. Wanting Happiness. Yearning for Love. These are all things we desire and even a hundred more things beyond that, but to seek these things is a clear indication that we feel as though we don't already have them. On one end we can acknowledge and say that God has already given us everything, but to truly believe that and apply it to all aspects of our lives, that is often a whole other story.

The Bible has many undeniable truths. Some items in the Bible might be argued or totally disbelieved, but that doesn't matter. The Bible and other sources of Gods words to us, were never meant to be either totally accepted or totally rejected. This method of thinking limits your ability to clearly see the truths that are there.

To totally accept every word in the Bible as the end-all be-all, you have mixed Gods truths with the personalities, opinions and folk-lore of the writers. You will find so many contradictions that you are forever trying to explain them in some way in which they don't contradict. Real truths need no defense or explanation.

For example, the concept that God was not able to bear the actions of people he created ( he was so upset ), that he flooded the entire earth, killing life upon life, upon lifeform...does not agree with the concept of a loving and forgiving God. We can justify it by seeing God how we see ourselves and assume it was his right to do with us as he pleases and we should just be thankful he didn't just kill us all...or we can see that the writers totally misunderstood an event that occured and treated and viewed God as all ancient tribes did and ASSUMED they were being punished and therefore wrote God in as they saw themsleves...angry, unforgiving, frightened and vengeful people.

On the other hand, to not accept any part of the Bible at all, you have restricted yourself from being exposed to the truths that God has shared with us. Gods truths are all that matter...not when something happened or if something happened, but who we are to be...how we are to live...who God is to us...those things are important. His truths are there and in so many other places as well. They are in songs you hear and movies you see. Once you begin to open your heart to see truthfully, everything becomes so much clearer.

A favorite verse of mine sums up just about all you need to do, be and know. You can virtually throw the whole book away, but hang onto this one truth...
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend upon your own understanding. In everything you do, acknowledge Him and he will direct your path."

This one phrase, one seemingly simple statement, contains everything you need to know in order to have a successful relationship with God and find your way home. All other spiritual truths in the Bible, Course in Miracles, etc, are based upon the spirit of this one phrase.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart...." It flows off our lips so quickly, yet, have we ever fully comprehended what it means or entails? To Trust God is to have full confidence in what he would decide for you. Trusting consists of removing all fear from your heart about what your past, present or future may hold. Trust includes having forgiven everyone and everything of what you believe they have done to you. Trusting means you have released all grievances with yourself, the world and God. Trusting removes all faith in what you believed you can do on your own and acknowledges that everything and anything of value can only be done through God.

To trust God is to see yourself without the means to pay a bill, while never fearing what may come of it. Whether it is paid or not, you believe the path you are on is one that is perfect for you and you can therefore only be content with life. God knows what is necessary for you to learn and grow, so to fear what is brought before you, is not trusting him.

God never tests you. That's an ancient concept of a Zeus-like God. When times are tough, you can know that no matter what appears to surround you, you have it within the God in you to rise over the situation. Every situation, whether good or bad, is actually an opportunity to learn and grow. These moments are mighty blessings that give you the opportunity to choose differently than you had chosen before. These moments are opportunities to stop the cycles in your life and to move past them. God uses everything at his disposal to teach you everything you need to know so that you can eventually come home to him.

"...and do not depend upon your own understanding." Our pursuit to understand is the primary thing that distances us from God at times. All

Before you can understand anything, you must be open to see it as it truly is. Consider an attempt in trying to describe a color to somebody, without using any reference to any other color or texture. No matter how well you try, he will never truly understand what that color is... until he finally sees it. Having seen the color, he will understand how it can be used and what it matches and how it differs. Understanding comes by first seeing. Open your heart to see things as God would have you see them and understanding will follow later. First, be open and willing to see, without reservations and without conditions or exclusions of what you will let God show you. Be open. Be willing. Do not depend upon what you have already convinced yourself that you understand. Desire to see. Choose to see differently. Be willing to see things clearly.

"In everything you do, acknowledge Him..." Know that God is your source. Know that his will is the only will and that your will is the same as his. Both God and you want you home. Both God and you want you to be happy, healthy and secure. Know that there is nothing you do separate from him that will ever succeed. This has nothing to do with the world where success is rated upon financial or social awards. All those things eventually fade to dust and therefore are not real. They don't matter to God. The condition of your spiritual being matters to God. Success is when you open your heart more than the day before. Success is when you are not fearful of things you feared before. Success is seeing God more clearly than before. Success is having an honest desire to pursue the truth, no matter how it might contradict what the world and religion has taught you.

"...and he will direct your path." What is your path? What is it that God would have you DO? Once you fully comprehend the concept of placing your total trust in God, there is nothing you will feel you will have to do for God. Only God can do. When you think there is something you can or must do for God, you have limited God and put yourself in his seat. So what is your path if you don't do anything? Your path is not about doing...it's about being. It doesn't matter to God what you do, as long as you BE part of him while you do it. Whether you are sweeping floors, running an entire corporation or climbing a mountain, these are physical things. God is not physical, he is spiritual, as is your true self. What is important is what are you BEING while you do these things. That is what your path is, to be all that God would have you be. To be without fear...to be full of love...to be patient...to be compassionate...to be open to hear God...to be willing to grow in Him.

There is nothing God requires that you do. There is no payment or sacrifice he requires or desires. There is no path to discover by racking your brain in trying to figure out what it is that God would have you do. There is no physical thing in the entire universe that you need to give God or those who claim they follow God. There is only one thing that God desires from you and that is for you to Be Willing. Be willing to see clearly... be willing to choose differently... be willing to set aside what the world has taught you... be willing to be what he would have you be. Your willingness creates an opening in your being that allows the Holy Spirit to Do things. It allows the Holy Spirit to heal you, teach you and guide you. Learn to Be and you'll truly see what God can Do.

No matter what you do in life, God can and will use your life to bless you and all those around you, but even more-so if you are pursuing a higher place of being as well. There are times when we dream about a grand future event that God will bring us to...Our Mission For God...but that's just fantasy. It is a sign you are not trusting God if you are planning what you believe God thinks is best for you. God may use events and choices you make that will affect a large audience some day, but that doesn't matter. God knows exactly what you need to become more and more open to him every day. That is what is important to him. He knows what will speed this process and that is where he will guide you. So don't be so concerned about what you think God wants you to do. Instead, in whatever you do decide to do, be what God would have you be and he will direct you from there.

This article Copyright ©2004 David Nelmes - Reproduced with Permission.

*Compliments of:Dreams Alive Magazine - http://www.dreamsalivemagazine.com
Being Willing - http://www.beingwilling.com

About the Author

David Nelmes provides opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. His desire is for himself and all men to pursue truth and be open and willing to see what God would have us see. His influences consist of being truly open and applying the truths in both "The Bible" and "A Course In Miracles". See more at: - BeingWilling.com