A well-meaning church member once told me “that I was all wrong”. He told me I was not to take the words personally. I found it difficult not to take it personally as the words were “I was all wrong.”
What’s personal? My faith is personal; my love of God, that’s personal. I cherish God’s forgiveness. I relish God’s wisdom in creating the world. I love talking with God, He’s my best friend. God’s amazing greatness (sovereignty) keeps me safe. I relate with God in science to learn about nature, with philosophy to understand God a little more. I take God personally as Lord of my life. Personal stuff sits in my heart; I feel, know and care about it. It’s me you’re talking about when personal.
I hurt when attacked personally, when ignored and hated. Gossip – talking about instead of with a person hurts; it treats people as if things instead of a human beings. Personal words touch us for good or ill. Love words heal. Hate words destroy. It’s all personal.
Lonely people have lost personal connections. For some lonely people personal connections are tinged with fear instead of trust. Lonely isolation brings deep personal pain.
I like discussions and conversations on life. I belong to a small men’s group that has met for over thirty five years. We share, care and pray together. We discuss the news, our lives and family, all in a personal way to gain wisdom and enrich each other’s lives. We are close to each other. When things get very personal we ask questions to try and understand in order to support each other. We care and seek the best for each other; we love each other deeply. It’s very personal.
God knows my name, the number of hairs on my head, it’s personal. God has called me to ministry in his work of setting the cosmos right. I long to know more of God’s doing to enjoy it. I personally want to honour God in walking my Creator’s path with Him. Will you join us personally?