When you love someone, you want to know more about them. You ask about his or her family, hometown, favorite memories, biggest dreams, and favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.

Recently, I have realized that my love for God has grown cold in this way. Instead of seeking to know Him more fully and more deeply, I have become complacent. I assume that I know who He is. I project my own ideas upon Him.

In the past, I have found that this goes one of two ways: Either God becomes a fluff ball of good feelings who doesn’t care what I do or say; He just loves me and all is well and dandy. OR God becomes the distant tyrant who just tells me what to do; the God I will never be perfect enough for.

But what happens when I try to confront real life struggles with the image of a God who is only sunshine and roses? Or what do I do if I view God as a distant tyrant, but am stuck in habitual sin and desperately need His loving mercy?

When I put God in a box, I tell Him and the world that I know exactly who He is and what He means for me. 

Sweet friend, when was the last time you asked God to tell you about Himself? When was the last time you opened yourself up in complete humility and recognized that you, in your humanity, could never fully understand the mystery of God?

Yes, we can know God. We can have a real, deep, and intimate relationship with Him. But may we never presume to fathom His infinity. May we never assume to fully understand how His perfect mercy can abide with His perfect justice. May we never think that we will ever truly understand how one God can be three Persons—Father, Son, and Spirit.

May we never think that God will fit in our boxes. May we never be complacent in our relationship with Him.

Let us come to Him—in prayer, Scripture, and the Liturgy—in complete humility. Kneeling before Him in body and spirit, may we have the courage to say, “Father, I want to know you. Jesus, reveal yourself to me. Holy Spirit, tell me about yourself.”

When we project our own ideas onto God, it is ourselves that we love or hate in Him. But when we allow Him to reveal His mysteries to us, we love Him first—and ourselves as His Beloved.

From my heart to yours,

Samantha

RESOURCES

1. Read Scripture (and good commentaries/good footnotes…in other words, read Scripture in the Living Tradition of the Church)
   1. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible has amazing, extensive footnotes. There is a volume with the whole New Testament, some of the Old Testament books are sold as separate booklets. Click here.
   2. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture published by Baker. There are books on each of the books of the New Testament, and I think Old Testament is in the works. Click here.
   3. Walking with God by Jeff Cavins and Tim Gray puts the whole story of salvation in one book. Knowing the story of salvation and God’s loving plan for His creation is INTEGRAL to knowing the Lord. Click here.
2. Formed.org has incredible video series. Click here.