With God 2

Skye Jethani’s newest book makes a plea that we learn to see the Christian life in better terms. His proposal is to look at prepositions as a clue to how we see the Christian life. Some see it as a life “from” God, and these folks see God supplying what they need (or want). Other see it as a life “over” God and they use God as the source of their principles and life’s laws. Yet others see it as life “under” God and they tend to manipulate God through obedience so that the person can be blessed. And then some see it as a life “for” God and they focus on their mission and purpose.

In his newest book, With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God, Skye wants us to learn to see the Christian life as a life “with” God.

He anchors this in the Trinity: The Son was with the Father, the Spirit was with the Father, the Son was with the Spirit, and the Spirit was with the Son. And the Father was with the Son and the Spirit.

An eternality of “with-ness.” This idea is potent for comprehending the Christian life, and here I’m simply saying what Skye does in other terms: in this view the Christian life is seen as communion in the already-existing divine communion.

Skye wants us to see that “with” is not the best in a list but the first and fundamental that both explains the other prepositions better but puts them to the chase. The “with” perception drives us to the heart of God and to the heart of what the Christian life is. It is about treasuring God, uniting with God, and at the same time experiencing God in the Now.

As a result, Skye is able to explain better than any other “theory” the triad of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. Those who focus on “with” see that the Christian life is lived:

With faith, with hope, and with love.

If we dwell with God, we are freed from fear and the desire to control to trust/have faith in God. If we dwell with God we see the purpose of life and find a meaning in life that can guide us forward in faith and love. And if we dwell with God we love.