March 18 – Drawn Into God’s Presence

Gregg’s Reflection

Looking back, I can see that my earlier relationship with God was more about duty than desire. I believed in God, but I feared His judgment more than I trusted His love. My faith often felt like an obligation — something I had to maintain so I wouldn’t fall short. That mindset kept me busy “doing” for God but rarely resting in Him.

Over time, through the influence of mentors, scripture, and the saints and mystics, I began to encounter a different God — One who draws rather than drives. God does not coerce us into His presence but woos us with love, beauty, and grace. This is the God who gives us the freedom to choose, yet whose love is so compelling that our hearts lean toward Him almost without realizing it.

Now, I think of the spiritual life not as a checklist to complete but as a relationship to savor. God’s presence is not something to achieve; it’s already here. The invitation is to slow down, open my heart, and be drawn deeper into the One who is already holding me.

Scripture

I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.

Hosea 11:4

Draw me after you, let us make haste. The king has brought me into his chambers; we will exult and rejoice in you.

Song of Songs 1:4, Septuagint

Ancient Quotes

You would not seek Me if you had not already found Me. The very desire that draws you toward God is already His presence within you.

St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermons, 169.13

The soul cannot live without love; she always wants to love something, for she is made of love. But if she turns not toward the love of God, she is drawn by the love of created things. The Spirit of God draws the soul with cords of love, uniting her to Himself.

St. Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue, ch. 26

Modern Quotes

God’s love is not a push from behind but a pull from ahead. It is not a shove into obedience but a drawing into intimacy.

Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel, p. 103

God does not coerce us into love; He awakens love within us. The drawing of grace is the beginning of union.

Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart, p. 46

Journaling Prompts

• When have you felt God drawing you rather than driving you?
  
  
• What does it look like for you to respond to God’s invitation rather than a sense of obligation?
  
  
• How can you create more space to be aware of God’s presence today?
  
  
• In what ways is God’s love pulling you forward in this season of your life?

Feeling driven? Have you contemplated the motivation for your drivenness? Dwell on the freedom and joy of moving from driven to drawn, from obligation to choosing, from fear to trust. 

👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 11 Reflection: Driven vs Drawn