Our identity as Christians includes our intention to give ourselves entirely to Christ, and in so doing make God our “all in all”. Such devotion to God is uplifting and joyful as we say, pray, and sing our hopes to make Christ the center of our lives.
When I have considered more closely what it means to make God my all in all, I have realized that while it is good and reassuring to proclaim this, it is not so easy to accomplish. I am learning that giving myself to Christ and allowing myself to be fully embraced by God is a process that is taking a lifetime, and more significantly, it is a journey that is not without obstacles. So how do I make this journey? Another way of asking this is how do I go from believing to living this fundamental truth that I belong to God entirely?
The answer for me is to do the work. Through my attempts at prayer, meditation, and exploration of the wisdom coming to us from the ages, I have a growing certainty that there is a part of me, deep within, that is uncreated, eternal, and untouched by sin. This part of myself is what I must give to Christ, but as much as I want to, I can’t quite let go. Delusion and sin tell me that to let go of this most essential part of myself is to also give up the control I foolishly think I have over my own life. Overcoming the fear and insecurity that arises from this inner tug of war is the journey of spiritual growth. Meditation, in the form of Centering Prayer, worship, and identification with community are my traveling companions in this journey.
Slowly, I am learning what scripture means in saying that when we throw off our old, isolated selves, we are reborn in Christ. Each time we pray, meditate, reflect on scripture, or engage in community, our acceptance of God’s love increases. Bit by bit, we surrender and let go of the delusion that we are separate from God. And as we surrender, we gain a growing sense of unity—not only unity with God, but with all of God’s creation. This oneness is our prayer of hope, and it is the direction of our never-ending spiritual journey.
— David Lilley
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