A Faith with a View

August 15, 2011 by Robert Crosby

Continued from Page 1

From a distance, perception is deceiving. Eighteen-hundred-foot-tall towers turn into little toothpicks I can twiddle between my fingers. Up close, however, the truth appears; I see things as they really are. I find that the "tower" is much more than I had ever imagined and that I, in fact, am the "toothpick" by comparison. Suddenly words such as awesome are redefined and reserved for God and God alone.

Is your God—or your vision of God—too small? What spiritual experiences have helped you to enlarge and improve your "view" of God? For some suggestions of spiritual disciplines and steps towards enlarging your view of God, see my blog entries this week.

A deity that fits between our little fingers will never inspire genuine faith within us. A small god can never lead us to a larger life or place, not the kind Jesus promised. However, as soon as our eyes are opened and we begin to see with our souls the God who is "great and greatly to be praised" (Ps. 96:4), faith will flow, and the view will be like nothing we've ever seen.

Note: This column is adapted from a chapter in Robert Crosby's book on the life of John the Beloved, one he considers to have been "the closest follower of Christ." The book available in paperback and e-book formats and is entitled More Than A Savior.

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About Robert Crosby

Robert Crosby is an author and Professor of Practical Theology at Southeastern University. Read his interview with Bobby Gruenewald, the Founder of YouVersion.com (the Bible App) and related articles at Christianity Today, The New Engagers and The Social Network Gospel. Robert Crosby is the author of the new book, The Teaming Church: Ministry in the Age of Collaboration (Abingdon Press).

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