Full Book Excerpt: Introduction

If you missed my most recent announcement, I will be posting excerpts of my upcoming book, Clearing the Path: Connecting with God in a Cluttered World, here on my blog leading up to its release (late summer 2023).

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be able to share this content with you; I have been praying that this book leads people into a closer communion with Jesus. If you’re the praying type, I would encourage you to join me in those prayers!

In addition to the excerpts shared here, follow me on social media (@nathan.westwick) for additional quotes from the book that you won’t be able to find on this blog; be sure to do both so you don’t miss out on anything!

So, on to the Intro chapter. If you find it inspiring, let me know in the comments, or send me an email!

[Excerpt from Clearing the Path: Connecting with God in a Cluttered World]

Introduction:

Do you ever find yourself feeling like God is distant?

Maybe this distance is something that you have somehow instigated, knowingly or not. Distance from God is often the subject of many a Sunday sermon, teaching us how to identify our sinful patterns, how to repent of these, and how to then live a good life that hopefully has some meaning and a nice little ticket to heaven at the end.

Maybe something deep inside tells you that there is more to be had from the Christian life. Maybe you’ve been doing all the right things (at least as best as you know how), genuinely trying your best to pursue God and yet find that He still feels distant, despite your best efforts.

Maybe you read stories in the Bible about God intimately interacting with His people and you believe that those stories are from sometime in the distant past and not for our time. For if they were relevant to today, you would certainly be feeling His presence in your life–you would have stories to share of Him speaking to you, guiding you, showing you His love.  

Maybe those times have been few and far between, if at all. 

The Bible tells us that a name for Jesus is Emmanuel, which literally means, “God with us”.

So why do we tend to live our lives like God is somewhere “up there” instead? If God is truly with us, why do we perceive Him as distant? Mostly benevolent perhaps, but also a bit detached, like someone tuning into the reality show of our lives. Sure, He is rooting for you and yes, He has the benefit of a broader perspective, but at the end of the day, God seems distant, detached, and has very little to do with our daily lives.

Think about the consequences of this mindset.

When we view God this way, we can find ourselves feeling alone and apart from this distant God who rules over the big stuff of the universe but doesn’t really have a vested involvement in our lives. We may then find ourselves prone to living in fear, wondering when the other shoe is going to drop, especially when things feel like they’re going well–a detached God, of course, would barely even know that good things were happening in our lives, or that bad things might be just around the corner.

We live life looking over our shoulders, wondering what could be lurking in the shadows of our lives, ready to pounce on us at any given moment.

We find ourselves guarded in our relationships, in our decisions, and in our workplaces because at our core we feel alone and that others cannot be trusted.

But what if that could change?

What could our lives look like if Jesus were literally walking beside us, sitting in the office with us, gathering around family dinner with us? Watching our favorite shows with us?

I don’t read any story in scripture that seems to indicate that those who got to experience Jesus in person had any feelings other than peace, significance, belonging, and being known.

Aren’t these the very things our souls crave?

Aren’t these the very things we seek after, hoping to find peace in our surroundings, significance in our work, a sense of belonging in our relationships? Why else do we see so many people moving to a different state, switching jobs, posting desperately and endlessly on their social media accounts eager for that “thumbs up” or praise in the comment section?

Aren’t all these somehow tied into a desperate sense of wanting to be known? If we were known on a deep, soul-level, we might be more content living where we are–for we would understand that external peace is fleeting, whereas inner peace is sustainable. We would be less prone to seek significance from our careers because we would know deep inside that as image-bearers, we carry unmatched significance. We wouldn’t feel the need to check the status of our latest post, seeking the affirmation of others, because we would know that the Creator of the universe delights in us more than anyone else possibly could.

Being known is what our souls are after, and being known by God is the only thing that truly sustains.

I ask you to consider: How might our souls be different if we truly believed that God was right here, with us, right now? Not up there, but right beside you?

I imagine, like the gentlemen on the road to Emmaus, our hearts would burn within us, because at our core, we would feel the most intimate connection with the One who created our very souls. Our hearts would burn because we would feel known, loved, and seen. And if we knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we were known, loved, and seen, I believe our lives would look quite different than they do right now.

When faced with setbacks, we might navigate them more easily because we would know that God is walking through those setbacks with us and that His very presence would provide peace amid the uncertainty.

We would navigate our relationships more securely, knowing that only through vulnerability can true relational intimacy be found.

We would navigate our workplaces more confidently, knowing that God has equipped us to do good work and that His guidance will be sufficient for any given day.

When we view God as out there, we rob ourselves of the full life that Jesus promised. It could be argued that seeing God as out there might actually be a form of denying Jesus. Denying the very Emmanuel who came to save our souls.

If you are looking for a life that stands out as different from the world around you, if you are looking for peace deep inside, if you could use a little dose of significance, if you desperately are seeking belonging, then this book is for you.

The secret to experiencing those things is actually much closer than we might think. I believe it is right here, with us, right now and all the time.

The secret is learning how to walk with Emmanuel.

Not getting ahead of Him, not putting Him high on a shelf, not forgetting Him, but walking with Him in our current circumstances and our current moment in time. Because to walk with Jesus is to commune with Jesus. And as His disciples experienced, to commune with Jesus is to experience the fullness of life He promised.

This will require effort, because anything worthwhile on this planet requires effort. There will be resistance, because the Enemy of our souls wants nothing more than for them to be disconnected with God. There will be days where you feel connected, and others where you feel like God is distant.

This is all part of the process. This is what living a life of intentional communion with Jesus is all about.

Nobody expects you to get it perfectly, ever. But I do pray that as you put into practice the ideas in this book, you will be blessed with more and more of Jesus, and that the blessing will translate into unmatched peace, a deep sense of belonging, and a daily communion with God that gives your life such significance and meaning that you can’t help but share that significance with others.

Here’s to the journey …