How do I know God dwells within me?

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”  (John 14:23)

One day a few years ago, Lily and I were on some errand or another and out of the blue she said, “If we stop breathing, we go to Heaven.”  What simple faith she has!  She doesn’t worry if she’ll go to Heaven, she simply has enough confidence in the love of God the Father for her that she believes she will go to Heaven when she dies.

I’m reminded of the story in the Bible when Jesus pulled a child close to Him and told the disciples that unless they became like children, they would not see the kingdom of God (Matthew 18: 1-14).  The child was held up as a model for the disciples not because of any supposed innocence of children but because of their complete dependence on, and trust in, their parents.  So must the disciples (we) be, in respect to God.

Children seem to get it.  They seem to understand that God dwells in their hearts.  Of course if you asked them how they know this they may look at you with a confused look and not know how to respond.  But somehow, they do understand that God dwells within them.

So, how do we know that God comes and makes His dwelling within us? 

By the gift of faith we, like little children, “just know” that God wants to dwell within us.  We know that He wants to possess our souls, speak to us, strengthen us, lead us, and guide us.  We know, by the gift of faith, that God is real and desires the deepest and most intimate relationship with us.  We just know.

The good news is that faith leads to understanding.  This means that the more we’re attentive to the voice of God speaking within us, leading and guiding us, the more we begin to understand His indwelling presence.  As St. Augustine said, “Faith is to believe what you do not see. The reward of faith is to see what you believe.”  Faith in God’s indwelling presence leads us to the answer of the question above.  The answer is one that God and God alone can give to us.  We can share our faith with others, give witness to His presence in our lives, and give those around us the answer to that question through faith.

How do I know God dwells within me?  Because I see Him there, I speak to Him there, and He speaks to me.