Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:9
“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Many believers know how to give God thirty minutes and keep the rest of the day for themselves. We open the day through prayer, read the Bible, say amen and move on. From that point, we make decisions and conversations, respond to people and pursue our plans with little awareness of God.
God was never meant to be a visitor. The Garden of Eden shows us the kind of relationship God wanted with man. Adam did not live one life during fellowship and another life afterwards. His work, marriage and daily responsibilities were carried out in the place where God walked. Life with God was not an activity added to his day. It was the atmosphere of his life.
For many of us, fellowship with God begins and ends with quiet time. Quiet time is important, but it should be the beginning of a conversation that continues throughout the day. “Amen” should not mean that God has finished speaking or that we are now free to live without involving Him.
A visitor is received for a short time. Certain rooms are prepared for him, while others remain closed. Conversations are controlled, appearances are maintained and the visitor eventually leaves.
Many of us treat God this way. We welcome Him into our needs but keep Him away from our ambitions. We discuss our pain with Him but not our pride. We ask Him to bless our relationships without allowing Him to question them. We want His direction until it differs from the decision we have already made. That is not fellowship. Fellowship gives God access. It allows Him to speak while we are planning, correct us while we are talking and stop us while we are acting. It means that no part of life is marked; “God must not enter here.”
When was the last time you changed a decision because you knew God was not pleased with it, even though nothing stood in your way? If we always leave prayer holding the same opinions, plans and attitudes we brought into it, are we listening to God or only talking in His presence?
Fellowship is more than talking to God; it is allowing Him to guide us throughout the day. You may be about to reply harshly and feel Him checking you. You may be ready to spend money and sense that you should stop. He may place someone on your heart to call, forgive or pray for, or ask you to give up something others see nothing wrong with. Our response in such moments shows whether His voice truly matters to us.
The problem is not always that God is silent. At times, we are too occupied with our plans to notice that He has spoken. How many hours of your day pass without one thought of Him? When those hours are joined together, they become a life lived without the One we claim is at its centre.
God wants more than the beginning and end of your day; He wants the hours in between. Speak with Him as the day unfolds. Thank Him, ask for His wisdom and turn your heart towards Him in ordinary moments.
Do not wait until evening to tell God about a day He wanted to share with you. Friendship cannot grow through occasional visits. If you want to become God’s friend, begin by living each moment with Him.
Prayer
Father, forgive me for giving You moments while keeping the rest of my life to myself. Today, I open every room; I speak about my motives, relationships, plans, spending, words and secret desires. I do not want You as a visitor; I want to live every moment with You. May my life show that I have been in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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