Commune with me
How much effort would you put in to spend quality time with someone? In an inspirational video titled “Eating Twinkies with God” that garnered around 4 million views, a little boy got dressed, packed a couple of Twinkies and drinks for two in his backpack, hopped on a train and headed out to a park where he ate Twinkies with a homeless lady on a bench. Seated side-by-side, delighted with their Twinkies, they shared a bond of humanity beyond kinship and felt almost as if they had met God.
In that moment, they were uninterrupted, alone together, unrushed and comfortable in each other’s company. Contrast that to the picture of a dyad or a group of people who are together but constantly preoccupied and staring at their mobile phone screens: they are together but alone.
God has created all humans to be relational with a need for meaningful connections with others. Unfortunately, we have become habituated to lifestyles that create greater interpersonal distances and relational deficits than before. As a result, we lose necessary skills for cultivating deeper conversations, even with God.
Yet, God Himself has called us to prioritize fellowship, or a fully-engaged life, with Him (1 Corinthians 1:9). The Bible tells us that Abraham was a friend of God; Enoch and Noah walked with God, and Moses had frequent face-to-face conversations with God. These men experienced God, not as a deity they talked about but as someone they personally communed with. So what does it mean to commune with God?
Commune is about a conversation or dialoguethat carries with it a profound intensity – that is intimate– with thoughts and feelings expressed.
Clearly, communing with God is the opposite of a utopian sense of nirvana or silent meditation devoid of emotions and thoughts. The point is not to hold ourselves back with God. Whether we are alone or in a crowded mall, or feeling conflicted with a deep sense of unease within, or battling a night of fitful sleep, or feeling lost and alone, communing with God happens when we allow ourselves to a moment of vulnerability and intimacy with Him. When we reveal our true self to God, we are assured in 1 Corinthians 1:9 that He is faithful. It means He will reward and respond to our efforts towards being transparent and honest with Him.
We can be mistaken in thinking that because God knows everything about us and He has our best interests at heart, it’s not necessary to tell Him what’s on our hearts; so we hold back. Yet, as believers, depriving ourselves of God’s attention can block our spiritual growth. King David modelled for us deep and affective dialogues with God – with no holds barred – like talking to a trusted friend who was always there for him.
Often fighting long, sleepless nights, he routinely bared his heart to God: I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. (NLT, Psalm 16:7-8) On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night. Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings. I cling to You; Your right hand upholds me. (NIV, Psalm 63:6-8)
Communing with God is always an in-person experience. God picks up our disquiet within and responds to even the most incoherent but sincere gestures to commune with Him. Imagine God as a piece of musical instrument in the hands of an inexperienced and unsure player; we can be assured of beautiful music whenever they come together!
Enjoying communion with God is as easy as ABC. Here are 5 simple hacks:
·Acknowledge who God is in your life right now. This will help to frame your conversations with Him.
·Believe that God hears you and that He knows. In other words, the connection is secure and trustworthy.
Cling on to Him as One who deeply cares and is interested in your life, no matter how you feel. Cling on to Him, and not just His promises.
Desire more of Him. While there are ‘natural desires’ that we would be wise not to act on, there are good desires, like communing with God, that don’t come as naturally but we need to cultivate it to enjoy a spiritually healthy and fruitful life.
Expect change and transformation to happen within you. The more regular our time with God, the more we become like Him in character. We read in Acts 4:13 that people recognized Jesus’ disciples, Peter and John, by the courage they had displayed; and even though the people looked down on them as ‘unschooled, ordinary men… they took note that these men had been with Jesus.’
Contrary to common belief, regular communion with God does not breed a familiarity that reduces our interest in Him but leads to a growing likeness of Him that deepens the relationship. Wherever we are on our journey with God, we can be sure that maintaining regular fellowship with Him will engender greater faith and faithfulness in us, as well as behaviour changes that others will soon take notice.
