The Search for Something Real (seeking the real God)
Seeking a relationship with God is a deeply personal journey, but it can easily get derailed when you encounter people who use religion as a tool for control. It is completely natural to want to strip away the noise, the high-pressure tactics, and the artificial rules created by those seeking influence.
Getting to know God on your own terms isn’t about following a script written by someone else. It is about quiet reflection, honest questioning, and discovering truth through your own experience and understanding.
Looking for God in Everyday Goodness
If you want to understand the character of God without human filters, look at the traits that make the world better. Traits like selfless love, beauty, order, and kindness offer a window into something higher.
- Nature: The complexity and scale of the natural world often inspire awe and a sense of connection to something greater than human ambition.
- Acts of Kindness: Observing genuine goodness in people—especially those who ask for nothing in return—reflects a higher standard.
- Integrity: Notice how real truth brings peace and clarity, whereas manipulation leaves behind anxiety and confusion.
Trusting Your Inner Compass
Exploring faith independently doesn’t mean you have to be completely isolated, but it does mean setting strong boundaries.
Healthy Exploration encourages you to think for yourself. Signs of Manipulation demands unquestioning obedience.
Healthy Exploration promotes love, peace and patience. Signs of Manipulation uses fear and guilt to drive action.
Healthy Exploration is open to tough questions. Signs of Manipulation silences disagreement or doubt.
Healthy Exploration focuses on inner transformation. Signs of Manipulation focuses on external control and status.
By keeping these distinctions in mind, you can pursue a meaningful, authentic understanding of God that is grounded in truth, integrity, and personal peace—entirely free from the agenda of those seeking power.
Finding God (where they told you not to look)
It All Counts: Finding God Everywhere is a unique book that presents a compassionate and deeply person exploration of faith. Through stories of grief, joy, nature and walks around the lake, the author challenges the idea that faith only ‘counts’ when it’s being inside a church buidlnig.
Your questions are never too big, and your worship does not need to be conventional. You still belong. You are not alone. And yes – it all counts.
This is a book for spiritual seekers and those interested in the Christian faith, but perhaps without all the pomp and hypocrisy of ‘big religion’.
Both a soothing balm and rallying cry, the author replaces shame-based theology with grace. Reminding us that God is not confined to churches or cathedrals. But present in every breath, doubt and natural moment.
Who wrote this book?
Natalia Terfer is a pastor and co-host of Cafeteria Christian podcast, and the weekly uplifting devotional The Friday Uplift. She lives in Minneapolis, USA.
