I just finished My Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos. While it had its cheesy moments, he also made some good points. Towards the end of the story Matt is desperately trying to find the real Jesus. He's been serving the Jesus he's conjured up in his mind but is no longer satisfied with that Jesus. He wants the real one. The book is the journey he went on to find this Jesus. But at the end he has the choice to finally leave the one he's grown used to or to walk into the room where he knows he'll find Who he's been searching for. One of the other characters tells him he's unable to hear God speak to him because of all the static.
"I mean that your head is full of static. Stuff full of television and radio and comic books and noise. You say you can't hear Jesus, but it's because you have earbuds in all the time. You're afraid of silence. You're afraid to let even a strong signal through...when exactly is Jesus supposed to have a conversation with you?"
I'm guilty of that. I'm always working on something, reading, listening to music - go, go, go. But I need to slow down and just savor what can be found in silence. I need to let God be able to speak to me in the quiet. To. just. be.
GREAT quote! So true that we are too busy listening to everything else- but God. I have to remind myself of the verse "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10 Maybe if I am still for just a little bit of time I will know God more...
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book! And it's true. There are times when we feel more comfortable "putting God in a box" and trying to conform Him to our idea of him instead of accpepting all the wonderful things that He has in store for us if we follow Him.
ReplyDeleteI need to get to "Imaginary Jesus"--my husband found it and is still reading it! But I love that quote, because it's so true. I know at times I'm even afraid of silence because I'm afraid I won't like what God has to say--forgetting that He gives His children good things, even if we don't quite see it at the time!
ReplyDeleteOne of the best quotes from the book, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that the book has spiritual impact. We aren't simply entertained, though there is that too. But it puts us face to face with truth we need to hear. That's maybe the highest praise to give an author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post.
Becky