Influence

Influence

Living in a primarily religious household I've attained many beliefs and have come to an understanding with my faith. I know that God is present and I understand that He is and will always be prevalent in our lives. He's there for us in whatever situation He is needed and sometimes we take that for granted or forget that we mustn't just believe in Him when it is convenient for us, as in A Presence That Disturbs where it explains the images of God that we might have. For instance it describes God as a Sugar Daddy, God as Relentless Pursuer, and God as a Disturbing Presence. It's different for everybody, but guilt may set in when one thinks about how they view God. I have fallen victim to imagining God as one of these but it is only brief, for when I sit back and think on my life and the many things I have accomplished, or the things that my family has overcome, I then truly understand that God is and will always be our savior.

The main theme of the stories we read in Encountering Jesus are based upon the devotion and trust these people have in actually coming in contact with Jesus. They put their lives in His hands and demonstrate enormous amounts of loyalty to Him. In chapter one of Encountering Jesus we come across a paralytic man that was brought forth to Jesus by his friends and by just seeing the man and feeling his faith, Jesus healed him to the dismay and disbelief of the surrounding crowd. "Who can forgive sins but God alone" (1). "I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home" (1). It can be related to the present. God or Jesus may not be visible as He was at that time, but it is the believing aspect and the trust that we place in those two amazing figures that seems to make miraculous things happen. Occurrences like these may not even take place, but going back to the simple fact of accepting God and Jesus into our lives, at least in my own life, makes me feel content and safe at the end of the day.

Before having taken this class I didn't really think about how I applied God to my life. Of course I believe in Him, but what all does believing in Him entail? I feel that it doesn't necessarily mean going to Church and spreading the word of God, all which are great things, but it is more of a personal reflection. This class has helped me to talk to God most of all, relate to Him on the areas of my life that