Being friends with God is both sweet simplicity and grand complexity. Simply put, it means spending time with Him, and walking with Him throughout life and into eternity. On a more complex level, it means diving into the vast diversity of who He is, and allowing Him to pattern us with the patterns of His heart. Friendship with our Creator is what we were designed for. Many find this an unusual concept, yet in God’s mind, it is quite odd and alien when it’s the other way around.
Being friends with God means taking the time and care to really get to know Him; know Him beyond the superficial knowledge created by pre-conceptions, which are often misconceptions. It means spending time digging into His Word for nuggets of His personality and life philosophies. It means talking to Him and allowing Him access to every nook and cranny of our heart – our thoughts, motives, dreams, fears, concerns, desires, questions. It means starting to think like God Himself. After all, friends rub off on each other, and there’s nothing sweeter than His divine glow sparkling our very being.
Friendship with God means reflexively talking to God often; out loud or in our heads, lying in bed or while at work, working out in the gym or while looking at TV, in the midst of sorrow and in joyful celebrations. God always has His doors thrown wide open to us, waiting for us to just ‘make His day,’ and there’s nothing that quite does that like us sharing our lives with Him – everything from the fine details to the big issues of earthly existence.
When I talk to God, I keep things simple. I don’t talk in a ‘holy’ tone of voice or set out to pray long, ‘impressive’ prayers. I simply let the transparency of my thoughts and the sincerity of my heart be the highest eloquence I can offer Him. For God reads the language of our heart before He reads the language of our lips. God values innocence and honesty. He values our trust in Him. These are things which He will never violate or disappoint. Indeed He carries us like a shepherd carries His lambs – kindly, gently and faithfully. Even when life gets tough, we can rest in the fact that everything which God allows in our lives is motivated by his perfect wisdom and loving-kindness.
Friendship with God means hearing His voice and responding to His speaking. He breathes His counsel, encouragement, direction and adjustments in so many different ways. The more time one spends with Him, the more one gets to know His voice. It is like a leaf floating unto a pond, creating rings of ripples, yet knowing exactly what those ripples are saying. It’s like hearing wind chimes making music inspired by the thoughts of God, and instantly capturing in the nuances of every note, every subtle divine meaning.
God speaks in ways which cannot be numbered – through images lightly imprinted on the heart, through other people (even if they may not realize it), through music, through divinely-inspired insight into His Word, through audible communication, through the very design of Nature, through an endless assortment of interactions. God is always speaking, but the best way to capture His voice is by keeping our hearts pure, because the slightest neglect of our personal purity can muffle His voice. We can always determine if it is God or not by using what is written in the Word as a fool-proof litmus guide.
Friendship with God is special. God is a gift to be unwrapped, with every layer of discovery opening up whole new dimensions of his endless goodness. As we remove each new sheet of beautifully-patterned tissue, He begins to gift-wrap us in all the diverse beauty of His character. He makes of us a gift which can bless and enrich the lives of others, wooing them to the Lord Himself.
Being friends with God means taking the time and care to really get to know Him; know Him beyond the superficial knowledge created by pre-conceptions, which are often misconceptions. It means spending time digging into His Word for nuggets of His personality and life philosophies. It means talking to Him and allowing Him access to every nook and cranny of our heart – our thoughts, motives, dreams, fears, concerns, desires, questions. It means starting to think like God Himself. After all, friends rub off on each other, and there’s nothing sweeter than His divine glow sparkling our very being.
Friendship with God means reflexively talking to God often; out loud or in our heads, lying in bed or while at work, working out in the gym or while looking at TV, in the midst of sorrow and in joyful celebrations. God always has His doors thrown wide open to us, waiting for us to just ‘make His day,’ and there’s nothing that quite does that like us sharing our lives with Him – everything from the fine details to the big issues of earthly existence.
When I talk to God, I keep things simple. I don’t talk in a ‘holy’ tone of voice or set out to pray long, ‘impressive’ prayers. I simply let the transparency of my thoughts and the sincerity of my heart be the highest eloquence I can offer Him. For God reads the language of our heart before He reads the language of our lips. God values innocence and honesty. He values our trust in Him. These are things which He will never violate or disappoint. Indeed He carries us like a shepherd carries His lambs – kindly, gently and faithfully. Even when life gets tough, we can rest in the fact that everything which God allows in our lives is motivated by his perfect wisdom and loving-kindness.
Friendship with God means hearing His voice and responding to His speaking. He breathes His counsel, encouragement, direction and adjustments in so many different ways. The more time one spends with Him, the more one gets to know His voice. It is like a leaf floating unto a pond, creating rings of ripples, yet knowing exactly what those ripples are saying. It’s like hearing wind chimes making music inspired by the thoughts of God, and instantly capturing in the nuances of every note, every subtle divine meaning.
God speaks in ways which cannot be numbered – through images lightly imprinted on the heart, through other people (even if they may not realize it), through music, through divinely-inspired insight into His Word, through audible communication, through the very design of Nature, through an endless assortment of interactions. God is always speaking, but the best way to capture His voice is by keeping our hearts pure, because the slightest neglect of our personal purity can muffle His voice. We can always determine if it is God or not by using what is written in the Word as a fool-proof litmus guide.
Friendship with God is special. God is a gift to be unwrapped, with every layer of discovery opening up whole new dimensions of his endless goodness. As we remove each new sheet of beautifully-patterned tissue, He begins to gift-wrap us in all the diverse beauty of His character. He makes of us a gift which can bless and enrich the lives of others, wooing them to the Lord Himself.
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