Keep In Touch

 

My wife mailed out our Christmas cards a few weeks ago. She enclosed a letter discussing our activities for the past year. I know people have different views about Christmas letters, but I like them. I enjoy being able to catch up on what family and friends have been doing.

 

I know I’m dating myself when I say that I used to regularly write to and receive letters from my family and friends when I went away to college. Nowadays, I write a weekly letter to our daughter. We stay in touch during the week, but I like being able to collect my thoughts and organize them when I write. I also think that a letter shows more interest than just a phone call or a text.

 

With the advances in technology, we now have the capability to stay in touch with people on an almost continuous basis. I think that depth and quality of conversation have suffered as a result, replaced by shallow minute-by-minute accounts of daily life.

 

God wants us to keep in touch with Him. I believe that He appreciates the brief conversations we have with Him throughout the day. At the same time, He wants us to spend time with Him talking about the deepest issues in our hearts and minds. He also would like to have the opportunity to talk to us at a time when He has our undivided attention.

 

James tells us, “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8). Even Jesus, who knew the Father better than anyone, took time out to go to a lonely place so He could have time alone with the Father in prayer. We need to come near to God in prayer, quiet time, and scripture study so that He might come near to us. Last week, when we talked about bearing fruit, we recalled Jesus’ words, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit” (John 15:5). We cannot remain in Jesus if we are not in close contact with Him.

 

Let’s try to keep in touch!