Are You Enjoying God?
A couple of years ago, my pastor challenged us to live a life of faith when we’re not at church. He preached this message in 2020 when many of us were stuck inside, away from many of the distractions that often occupy our time. My pastor encouraged us to have the same faith that we have at church when we’re gathered together in our own individual homes. After all, if we want to see freedom and healing and restoration in the world, it has to start with us first.
But then he asked a question that I wasn’t expecting. He asked, “Are you enjoying God in your home?”
I wasn’t ready for that question and didn’t know how to answer it. Even now, nearly two years later, I still think about this question often. The past two years have been filled with turmoil, chaos, and grief. And yet, in the midst of everything that’s going on — whether good or bad — we can enjoy God. We can savor God’s presence.
Of course, it’s not always easy. I would venture to guess that many of us probably weren’t taught to simply enjoy God’s presence. It’s so much easier for us to do things for God rather than simply being with him. But what if we chose a different way?
“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
I love watching The Great British Baking Show because it’s joyful and whimsical. Some days, I can’t handle a gritty action film or series; instead, I need something light and joyful, so I’ve turned to British baking. Some of the culinary creations featured in the show are absolutely delicious, and the judges will remark that they just want to go on eating it all day long. Others miss the mark and often lead to that contestant being sent home.
When we eat a delicious meal or dessert, we will slow down and savor it, but how often do we take the time to taste and see the goodness of God? Do we take him in with all of our senses and cherish his presence? How often do we actually enjoy God?
This might seem like such a frivolous concept when so much of our world is in such a state of turmoil. But I think this is an important practice for us to regularly connect with God. After all, we enjoy time with our friends, family, and spouses — why wouldn’t we enjoy God?
I suspect that if the church could learn to enjoy God regularly, our lives might look drastically different. I can’t help but wonder: what might our world look like if we chose to savor God in his infinite goodness and mercy?
We were made to love God and love others. I wonder if we would do both of those things better if we experienced the lavish love of God more fully and completely. If we enjoyed being in God’s presence, maybe we wouldn’t turn to other things to fulfill us. Maybe we would be more consumed with him.
Maybe it’s not a sin problem we have, but an enjoyment problem. Because we don’t savor God as we should, we seek comfort and enjoyment outside of him, leading to hurt and even sin.
We are living in an incredibly difficult time and are feeling and experiencing so many different things right now — it’s a lot to take in. But I believe we can still enjoy God in the midst of everything.
Let’s seek God’s face and savor his presence. Let’s enjoy spending time with our God today!
How have you enjoyed God in the past?
How do you think we can practically taste and see God’s goodness today?
For a framework to practice beholding God, check out Behold: 40 Days of Seeing and Savoring God.
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