Like I explained in this post last week, God is our BFF.
But how do we connect with God as a friend? Just like other friends, He’s multifaceted. We can connect with each side of the trinity–Father, Son, and Spirit.
Father
God can be both our father and our best friend. One of the greatest parts of growing up is that my parents are not just my parents, but my friends (and they’re pretty cool).
When God is your friend and father, you can start operating as a child of God.
Fun fact: in the Old Testament, His people are called children of Israel or Zion. In the New Testament, we’re called children of God!
God promised we will reign with him someday (2 Timothy 2:1–14). That means we’ll actually be princesses and princes someday.
Not exactly like the God’s Little Princess books by Sheila Walsh, but close. It’s more for books like The False Prince (great story btw) where we watch people step into the role of a leader.
Every once in a while I have a glimpse of what my friends will be like in heaven. I long for my friends to see me that way. This is a part of good Biblical community–we view each other the way that God views us.
So how do we connect with God the Father? Take a second to talk to your father and best friend in heaven. Be honest to the point of rawness. He’s always listening.
Son
Jesus is called our brother in Christ.
Family = friends. Seriously, our first opportunity to make friends is with our family members every day. These are also important friendships because we’ll never get rid of them. 😉
So how do we connect with Jesus? Hang out. One time, I actually invited Jesus to watch cartoons with me. I loved watching Kung Fu Panda with Him. This is actually a spiritual discipline called solitude (most people don’t watch cartoons when they do it, but you get the point). You can read Celebration of Discipline for more information about solitude. Here’s my quick guide: invite Jesus to do something with you and look for ways He shows up.
Spirit
The Holy Spirit is more than just how we talk to our best friend. It’s also how He talks to us. The catch is that we need to listen well.
I’m looking for someone to tell me that I’m not worthless, but God is already there, telling me a million different times in a million different ways, I’m just not listening. This isn’t me just speculating, this is a thought straight from my head. Yesterday I felt frustrated about something and couldn’t figure out why until this is the answer that jumped out at me.
When I hear God, thoughts are in my head that don’t seem to belong to me. A bible verse pops up from nowhere, I’m praying and suddenly realize an answer to my problems, I notice something unusual, a song speaks to me…
Here are some lyrics that embody what the Holy Spirit says to us:
So how do we connect with the Spirit? Ask a question and listen for His answer.
Last Thoughts
If you opened this post hoping to connect with your human friends, here’s a bonus: These tips for connecting with God can actually help you connect with anyone.
Talk to your friends honestly, invite them to hang out, and listen well. Start with God, then move onto your human friendships.
Today, invite God to spend some time with you. Then wait for Him to show up.
I LOVED the book The False Prince (It’s literally on my nightstand as I type this comment, haha). Thanks for the great tips!