Spiritual pathways (6)

The contemplative pathway. If you relate to God best through the contemplative pathway, you love large blocks of quietness and uninterrupted time alone. It is very likely that when you were a child, your parents would tell you to go outside and play with other kids more. Reflection comes naturally to you. You often feel like an observer in life. Here are some scriptures you easily identify with: “Mediate within your heart on your bed and be still. Selah” (Psalm 4:4 NKJV). “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret” (Psalm 37:7 NKJV). “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV). “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation.” God is most present to you when distractions and noises are removed. Images, metaphors, and pictures help you as you pray. If you get too busy or spend too much time with too many people hanging around, you begin to feel drained and stretched thin. You do not require much external stimulation. Making time to listen to God in silence and solitude is vital to the health of your soul, and it’s necessary for you to experience a deepening sense of His presence. You need regular, protected, intense, undistracted time alone. But here’s a word of caution: the Bible says, “If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11 NKJV). And love takes time and effort. Sometimes it requires sacrifice. One of the best ways to show your love for God is to show it to the people around you whom God loves.