Are you A.L.E.R.T. to the divine?

ALERT means vigilant; fully aware and attentive; wide-awake.  

It is also our acrostic for knowing God: A.L.E.R.T.

As many have benefited from working through the disciplines of this acrostic, I repeat it here.

Here are a number of the posts with links. If you find them helpful leave a 'like', or better still, share them with others.

1.  Attending to God:

A for attending is set against the backdrop of a neighbor who wanted an audience rather than a friend. 

What competes with your desire to attend to God? This post provides two common competitors and reflects on the psalmist's words: "Be still and know that I am God."

Is that you God? How can you discern when God is speaking?

This popular post provides some practical answers so you can know when it is God that speaks.

2.  Listening to God:

Listening is a challenging and rewarding discipline. Here are two posts that compare and contrast the barrenness of busyness with the reward of listening. 

4 Qualities of active listening. Are you too busy to listen? Here are some of the pathologies of the moral laziness of busyness.

Listening well to God reflects on Mary’s posture as she sits at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:38-42).

I hope you are enriched and encouraged by these posts.

3.  Expecting God:

Do you remember the furor when Starbucks dropped "Merry Christmas" from their cups?

This issue revealed a bizarre expectation which prompted the writing of "Starbucks and God." How many of our expectations of God are shaped – and distorted – by culture?

On the positive side, the post "Expectations of God" provides some answers as to where, when, and how we can expect God.

Perhaps we need to develop expectations that enable us to discern the presence of God in the undramatic ordinary things and people of daily life.

4.  Responding to God:

Again, two posts provide us with the negative, then the positive, of this revealing and necessary practice.

First, Responding to God (Part 1), then Responding to God (Part 2). 

How we respond to a person is the measure of our relationship. From this, what can you discern about your relationship with God? How can you grow in your relationship?

5.  Taking time with God:

I'm a slow learner, but gradually I'm realizing that the relationships I value need my time. We cannot take them for granted.

Time for God addresses the need for the time investment in relationships that matter. It also provides you with a link to the short and helpful booklet, Tyranny of the Urgent.

These links will give you lots of material for growing in your relationship with God. Let me know what you think, and what you can add.

Next week, I'm thinking about beginning an exploration of the little letter of First John which provides us with insights into the reality of divine fellowship.

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