My Answer: God exists within you and without you
Q: Where is God? My Christian friend says he is somewhere up in heaven, but my yoga instructor says God dwells in every one of us, and we just need to look within to connect with the divine (which is what she calls God). Who’s right? — Mrs. M.D.
A: God is not limited to one place; he is what theologians call “omnipresent” — that is, he is everywhere. The Psalmist declared, “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:8).
At the same time, it’s a mistake to think that we only need to look within ourselves to find God. God is far greater than this, and we will miss the reality of his greatness and perfection and holiness if we try to find him within our minds or souls. We’ll also be in danger of overlooking our own sin, and deceiving ourselves into thinking we don’t need God’s forgiveness and grace. The Bible warns, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
Where should we look for God? Not in a place, but in a person — Jesus Christ! He was God in human flesh who came down from heaven to cleanse us from our sins and bring us back to God. Sin separates us from God, but by his death and resurrection Jesus Christ provided the way for us to be forgiven and restored.
I invite you to turn to Jesus and commit your life to him. God loves you, and life’s greatest joy comes from knowing him and walking with him every day. Then pray for others who don’t know him, that they may open their lives to his transforming love.
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Q: My marriage lasted less than a year, and afterward some friends said they hadn’t thought it would last that long. I’m not sure what happened. I’d like to get married again, but I’m afraid things would end up the same way. What should I do? — R.P.
A: I’m glad you’re concerned about this, and I sincerely hope you won’t plunge thoughtlessly or quickly into another marriage. The Bible wisely says that “the prudent give thought to their steps” (Proverbs 14:15).
The best advice I can give you is to commit your life and your future into God’s hands. Elsewhere in your letter, you acknowledge that God has never been important to you. But you are important to God, and he loves you and wants to help you make good decisions — not just about marriage, but every other part of your life. Perhaps God will use your failed marriage as a “wake-up call” to help you realize your need of him. By a simple prayer of faith ask Christ to come into your life today — and he will.
Then commit your future into his hands. Begin by asking him to help you understand what went wrong with your marriage, and then to help you remedy it. Were you interested only in yourself? Were you insensitive toward your wife and her needs, or was she insensitive to you? Your friends may be able to help you analyze this.
In addition, seek out a church where Christ is honored and you can meet others who will help you grow spiritually (and also socially). Most of all, ask Christ to help you become the kind of person he wants you to be. The Bible says, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).
(Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn., 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit https://www.billygraham.org.)