What if you talked to God as much as you talked to your best friend?
Think about it.
I'm one of those people who will walk around texting or Facebook messaging someone all day. Generally it's my one of my best friends, and we talk about everything from what we're baking or eating right then, to our pets and families, to our least favorite capital letter to write, to deep stuff like fears and hopes and secrets. Those of you who talk to your boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse 24/7 can also relate to this- you cover everything possible, and mostly you just don't want the conversation to die. I will make ridiculous observations or say things that probably wouldn't come up otherwise to help a conversation stay alive.
So what would it look like if I talked to God like that? I generally don't, and get trapped in this idea that I need to just bring him my heavy stuff, my shortcomings, and my negative emotions. I've been treating God like a counselor instead of like a best friend.
Part of this probably comes from me misreading 1 Peter 5:7, which reads, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." I once took this to mean that while, sure, God cared about all of me and all the good things too, he just wanted to hear about what scared me and how good he was.
But that's not right. God cares about all of me- the fears and shames and negatives for sure, but also my hopes and dreams and what I made for breakfast today and which pair of mismatched socks I picked out this morning.
Luke 12:7 says, "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."
If God cares about how many hairs I have, I think he also cares about the rest of my (and your!) life. He celebrates with me and smiles with me and loves to hear from me, whether it's about socks or sin.
I don't put much stock in resolutions, but this year and every year following, I'm going to try to make a conscious choice to talk to Daddy more frequently, about everything-- the good and the bad.
I pray that this year will be a challenge and a blessing for us all, and that "Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and dept, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3.17-19).
All my love,
Lauren
