Thoughts On Communication

By Diane Ryckman

Communication is both expressive and receptive, and is vital to every relationship in life. The strength of my relationship with family and friends is proportional to the extent we communicate our thoughts, frustrations and joys with each other. In the same way, communication is central to my relationship with God.

God has expressed Himself to me through the Bible. Through faith in Christ’s work on the cross, communication with God is established. The strength of my relationship with Him depends now on how receptive I am to His Word. How willing am I to really listen? How much time will I invest in reading and meditating on what He wants me to know?

God has established prayer as the means of expressing myself to Him. Psalm 62 encourages us to "Pour out your heart before Him…" What a wonderful invitation to communicate! And the more we communicate, the deeper our relationship with our heavenly Father becomes.

God’s receptiveness to my communication with Him, however, is dependent on me. As in every relationship, sin and selfishness build barriers to communication, yet God has done His part to destroy these barriers through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now it is up to me to maintain communication with Him. "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). The Lord has put everything in place! It’s up to us to "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). And that’s a promise