A Topic of Conversation – Re Perspective

Taken from a Blog I posted on Transformation.com (Feb 2009)

Does God really want us to put him first? I mean literally first – Where is the cut-off/dividing point?

I was trying to think how to word this – because I don’t want to seem as though I am trying to dictate to anyone – or that I am trying to preach – that just is not me. But for the last 24 hours I have had this question running through my head and I have had totally contradictory answers – so that has left me in total confusion. So sometimes I write as ‘I’ and sometimes I write as ‘we’ – I do not mean anything by it – it is just the way the words flow from my finger tips.

I am really pleased that I was brought up with the Ten Commandments as a backbone to life – a guide for what is right and what is wrong. I am just one person and I believe that we are all individuals who have all had individual experiences and individual responses to those experiences.

My knowledge on my next sentence is totally minimal and I may be talking out of my >>>> – but I believe that the Bible or any text that relates to any Religion can be interpreted by each and every person who reads it in a different and totally unique manner – depending on the experiences and life references that they have.

My interpretation is that I have never viewed God as someone who wants to be put first as in ‘I am God – you must obey me, you must follow my rules’. I have always imagined him to be that wonderful caring grandparent, one who you can sit at his feet – or by his side – someone who does not have the stresses and strains that a parent has and also has the time to get to know his grandchildren as individuals and totally unique beings. I believe that he gently nurtures and guides through stories and words of wisdom – but he never shouts or dismisses anything that we have to say. He is always there to listen and to ask questions if he thinks he does not totally understand. I see him as never being dictatorial or actually expecting anything. I see him as being happy and proud of us when we have achievements and at other times he may be sad for us if we stray – but he never turns his back. He may give us a look of disappointment for a moment – but not so that he can put us down – just so that we look at our actions and then make a decision for ourselves.

I believe he sets us a lesson in his gentle ways – would we listen to him as much if he did not listen to us? Would we really hear his message if he told us how to live our lives? Which teachers did you listen most to at school or during your life to date – was it those who took time to care and listen, or even at times take a step back and let us make our own mistakes – or was it the one who said ‘it is my way and only my way’, the one who raised his voice and used words that hurt, belittled or judged?

I suppose it may seem that I am off topic – my question was ‘Does God really want us to put him first?’ – but I was hoping that by laying a little groundwork you may understand where I am coming from. I really do have contradictory answers but the one that I ‘feel’ deeper inside me is NO. I think he wants us to learn lessons, to ask questions and become true genuine souls/individuals who care about every living being. I believe he wants us to learn the lessons of non-judgment – and that means ‘minding our own business’ as said by Iylana VanZant. I believe that the person he wants us to think about is ourselves (not in a selfish way – so please do not mis-understand me) – unless others actually ask for our help or decide to listen to us. I think it is ok to talk about our experiences – but it is up to others if they want to listen or not. I do not believe we can make anyone else feel something or be something.

And yet I am not saying – give birth to your children and don’t give them any input as they have to learn their lessons themselves, I am not saying don’t go to school or home school your children, I am not saying let everyone run riot – I am not saying have no guidelines.

I think I am saying that I don’t think God puts himself on a pedestal – I think he is humble and genuine. I don’t think he thinks of himself as any better or worse than anyone else, I think he wants us to live our lives and learn to have a voice of our own – I think he wants us to learn our own individual language, to take his lessons and make them ours – individually – not take them verbatim. I think he wants us to create our own language – not with ego – but with …………………………. Oh how do I word it?

Oh I am definitely waffling again – probably making no sense and maybe tomorrow or next week I will read my own words and think how naive I was – but for today – this is part of me. I know that I have learnt as much from my children, friends, family, colleagues, etc if not more, than they have learnt from me. It just took me a while to learn to listen and not dictate. (Oh I am not perfect _ I still dictate sometimes – but rarely and when I do they tend to listen and come to their own conclusions – Is that how God is?)

I really am not being dis-respectful – I am just trying to find an inner peace that works for me – and share – and not judge – and be open to others points of view ……………………………..

 

Love and Light ~ Gratitude and Faith

Jaki :)

 

© Jaki Bent 2008 – 2011