Do You Experience God?

Connor, a man in his late 40's, has achieved everything he ever thought he needed to feel happy and secure. He owns a successful business, has a wonderful wife and two children, and a beautiful home. Yet when you look at him, he doesn't look happy. He looks empty, with no sense of vibrancy about him.

His wife, Brianna. also has everything she ever wanted ? a husband, children, financial security, successful work and a beautiful home. When you look at her, you see a person filled with aliveness and vitality, friendliness and joy.

What is the difference? Why are these two people, each who have the same outer things, so very different in their energy? The answer is that Brianna has a strong connection with God while Connor has no spiritual connection at all.

The longer I've worked as a counselor, the easier it has become for me to tell the difference between people who know and experience God and people who don't. It is the difference between Connor and Brianna. It is the difference between being full from the inside or inwardly empty.

It's not that Connor doesn't want to experience God. He says he really wants to. He sees the difference between him and Brianna and he says he wants what she has. He sees his parents as empty and he says he doesn't want to end up like them, with no sense of passion or purpose in their lives.

Yet Connor does not experience God, and the reason is simple: he places a higher priority on having control over money, employees, what people think of him, his wife, and his children than on being a loving human being. He says he wants to be loving, and the times he is loving he feels great, but it never lasts because his desire to control is greater than his desire to be loving. He is afraid if he is loving to himself and others his business will suffer, he will have less money, he will lose friends. His ego wounded self tells him that if he is open and loving, he will be taken advantage of, and that is the last thing he wants. So his primary intention is to protect against what he fears rather than to be loving.

God is love, the spirit of love, the energy of love. That love is always here for us when we open our heart. Our heart opens automatically when our intent is to learn what is loving to ourselves and others rather than protect against what we fear with our controlling behavior. To know God is to know Love. To know Love is to know God.

When Brianna looks at Connor with love, Connor feels afraid and turns away. If he opens to her love, he fears he will be vulnerable to being hurt. Maybe she won't like what she sees if he is open and will reject him. Maybe she wants more than he wants to give. Maybe she just wants to suck the life out of him like his mother did. Protecting against his fears is more important to him than being loving and sharing love with Brianna. Brianna loves Connor but is often lonely with him because he is afraid to share love with her. Connor complains that he doesn't feel good a lot of the time ? he feels empty. He avoids his emptiness with food and TV, which doesn't bring him joy.

Connor complains that he doesn't know how to experience God. I tell him it's not about how, it's about intent. When his deepest desire is to be loving rather than controlling, he will easily and naturally experience God. It's all about intent. Our intent is what we have choice over. Our intent governs how we live, who we choose to be, how we behave. Our intent to love and learn about love opens our heart to the experience of God.

If you feel empty, consider that it may be more important to you to control than to love. If you know others who appear to be empty, consider that it may be more important to them to control than to love.

Opening to love does not mean that we will be vulnerable to being hurt, manipulated, taken advantage of. In fact, the opposite can happen: in experiencing God, we receive the wisdom and strength to know what is good or bad for us, what is right or wrong for us. In opening to God, we discover what is in our highest good. It is far safer than relying on our wounded ego self. Opening to the Love that is God through your intent to learn can bring you the deep sense of fullness and safety for which your heart and soul have always yearned.

About The Author

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Are You Building Your Own Cistern?

You're looking at one star in the middle of a... Read More

Satan... Im Not Impressed!

One important factor in how we go through life is... Read More

Finding Bobbie Fisher ---The Light House: Where Would Your Ship Be?

There is an old tradition song called, The Lighthouse and... Read More

Gentle Whispers

Today we do not experience great manifestations of God as... Read More

Making Our Self Real

"Self-Actualization" is the process of making our self "actual." Our... Read More

How To Fall With Style - The Art Of Sin

Adam had it right when he covered himself with fig... Read More

Be Still

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God;I... Read More

The Problem with Anger

As Christians, we know we need God in every aspect... Read More

Spiritual Surrender: Living a Peace Filled Life

Are you at a crossroad in your life where you... Read More

Gods Will

Many may wonder what is God's will, or how do... Read More

What is Kundalini?

The Kundalini is a pool of energy that lies dormant... Read More

A Fine Line between Heaven, Hell and Astrology - Angelic Governors of the Zodiac

Have you ever wondered which Angel governs your sign? And... Read More

All One; All Different -- Addressing Spiritual Reductionism

"We're one, but we are not the same."-Bono, U2Once I... Read More

Unification of World Religions

If anyone says that his/her religion is the only path... Read More

Who Am I?

Who Are you?Have you ever asked yourself the question 'Who... Read More

Can People Really Change?

MOST PEOPLE NEVER REALLY CHANGESad, but true.Some people never even... Read More

The Breath of Life

The earth is wrapped in a thin, loose shell of... Read More

Time for Healing

We have to go through some unfortunate experiences sometimes in... Read More

How Long, O Lord? A Meditation on Habakkuk

In Habakkuk, the prophet cries out in a lament complaint... Read More

Communion - The Key to Experiencing the Abundant Life of God

Now, we all know that we shouldn't be lead by... Read More

Astrology

What kind of foolishness is astrology? You read about Sun... Read More

Neither White-washed Nor Unmarked

When I was 10 years old my father decided to... Read More

Forgiveness: The Other Side

If we are honest with ourselves, we would have to... Read More

Jesus wants A Few Good Men! Living A Life You Always Wanted!

Jack Nicholson (Col. Jessup) (marine cornel) YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE... Read More

Spiritual Healing: In The School of Christ

Spiritual healing of the sick in Christ has many Christians... Read More

Seeing the Big Picture

Sometimes, in traveling a path, we discover a short-cut, and... Read More

Prophetic Ministry: How to See in the Spirit and Begin Prophetic Words

A Nathan type prophet sees with his eyes. A Samuel... Read More

Selling Spiritual Stuff

Spiritual stuff is a hard sell Roy and one of... Read More

What Does God Want From Me? A Personal Revelation of Conviction Verses Condemnation

It's strange how my life today looks wildly different from... Read More

Pray Without Ceasing

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,... Read More

Jesus the Great Teacher --Lessons Learned!

I don't know of anyone who really liked taking tests... Read More

The Trouble With Tarot Reading

Anything can be used for divination; coins, tea leaves, cards,... Read More

Life After Life - Death Is Merely a Changing Room

Since I awoke from my three month coma in August... Read More