God Is Real To Me!

When asked to write this article, I pondered about the topic: Is God real? This could mean two things: “Does God exist” and “Is God real to you”, and have you received divine revelation about Him?

To address the former briefly, I would say I do believe that God exists. This is despite the fact that I have neither heard nor felt Him tangibly, or seen Him in the flesh (though I implore Him on a regular basis to show Himself to me in these ways).

How then can I say that God exists? Can I use the channels of science, logic and rational thinking? The Creation-Evolution controversy, also known as The Great Debate, has existed since the discovery of early fossils, and is becoming more hotly debated alongside advancements in science and archaeology.

Christian youths today are faced with the mounting pressures of defending their faith and countering scathing cynical remarks about the existence of God from their peers and anonymous Internet users.

However, if my experience is anything to go by, I do not believe we should be as concerned about “countering”, as much as we should be about “encountering”.

This leads to my response to the second implied meaning of the question “Is God real to you?”

Although I am certain that God had His hand in my life when I was younger, my recollections of experiencing Him personally only began in my later teenage years. Despite what I was taught in Sunday School, nothing prepared me for meeting God in the way that I did.

It was at a Youth Camp that I began encountering the living God through His Word, through immersive moments in worship, and through experiencing His assurance. He revealed Himself to me as unmistakable peace in the stillness of despair, as overwhelming joy in the impossible moments, and as uncontainable love that flooded my heart and my being. My eyes were opened and I started to see and understand my purpose and mission in this life on Earth.

Part of my experience in encountering God has also come from hearing the testimonies of others who have tasted His goodness. There were (and thankfully, still are) times when fellow youths and leaders in my youth group come together to share about their personal encounters with God. It is so powerful and encouraging to hear Gods people testify!

Indeed, I no longer struggle with countering and defending my Christian faith because I know that God is real to me and I can stand firm in that knowledge.

What about you? Is God real to you, too?

Melodie Lee attends Grace Methodist Church.