The Omnipresence

Ever really sit and contemplate the idea of our omnipresent God? It's like trying to picture eternity, the vastness of space, or the beginning of time. It's so hard to imagine once you really try to wrap your mind around it. You can't really grasp the idea, but somehow that's OK. It's just awesome.

The change of being around other believers on a Christian college campus in a very spiritual atmosphere has made me really begin to feel this omnipresence of God. I see God in other people, I see God at work on the campus, and I see God in the faculty and staff. It's really changed me, and I've only been at college for 5 days...

But that's not even scratching the surface. God is actually sitting right beside me as I type this up. He's around my room, in my dorm, and all around the campus. He's even next to where you were at this time and He's there now as you're reading this. He's everywhere. And the sad thing is, despite the fact that God is always with me, I am not always with Him.

In fact, it's quite the opposite most of the time. I may acknowledge God at meals when I pray, thank Him when He helps me through something hard or stressful or thank Him for something great that just happened, But God is not generally on the top of my mind. He may be the top priority way down deep in my heart, but that hasn't reached my head yet. It bothers me to think that this amazing, all powerful, mighty, loving, merciful, friendly God is always with me, and I don't even acknowledge Him or think of Him for more than 5-10% of my day (or less).

I have to admit that God has been put on my mind more just because I'm surrounded by it on campus. But that only helps to a certain point. I need to... we all need to keep ourselves in communication with God. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to "pray continually". I mean, God is always there to talk to and be with us and guide us and help us, and all we have to do is look to Him.

I talk to my friends at Geneva a lot everyday. In fact, I'm largely in some type of conversation when not occupied with other things. I may not talk all that much compared to my friends, but I listen and talk and give my two cents. I figure our time is mostly spent doing and being with those we love most. So why is it that in conversation God, who should be our number one and may be in our hearts, He gets the short straw? He never is busy on the phone, He's never preoccupied with someone else, He's never needs to go anywhere, He doesn't live far away, and He's never unwilling to hear what you have to say. Why if He's always at any given time right where we need Him to be, do we not communicate and be in relationship with Him more? It shouldn't be the case that I put him last, and I mean to fix that.

Perhaps it will be through a more consistent Bible study. Perhaps it will be through more prayer time. Perhaps it will be through more constant awareness of God's presence. Whatever it may be, I think it's important that the omnipresence of God is not just realized and revered, but acted upon and used to our advantage.