Monday 20th November - 1 John 1

Today’s chapter is 1 John 1

Tom writes:

Fellowship with God is the deep, hope-imbuing core of the faith. John’s letter urges us on to the pulsating life-source of the Way; fellowship with the Father. Forget the slightly naff-sounding “personal relationship with Jesus”. We are not talking about a daily 5 minute check-in to get an inspiring thought and confess the odd sin. We are talking about fellowship. Naked, intense, bonafide fellowship with the Father. Fellowship is inviting Him to look over every cell in our bodies and every fleeting thoughts in our minds. Fellowship is letting Him run his hands over every sweep of our emotions and every urge of our souls. Fellowship is us beholding Him and sitting with Him, chatting with Him and being silent with Him. Fellowship is us and God, naked, intense, bonafide. And you know if you have it. Because from fellowship everything else flows.

Fellowship yields ecstasy. John calls it his “joy being complete”. Fellowship with the Father opens new doors on the corridor of your soul, doors that lead to freshness and fancy. If you have never known unexpected delight - unconnected to your circumstances - simply a gift from the Father, then maybe there’s more fellowship for you to find. In fact for all of us, there is more fellowship for us to find. For fellowship is the Way. The pleasure you are pursuing is picked up in the Presence. The pleasure you are pursuing is - shockingly - pick up in being pure; being whole; being entirely one with yourself and with your God. This purity, this oneness is also picked up in the Presence. Because in the presence your imperfections are exposed and then they are forgiven and they are washed. Sometimes this includes words. Sometimes this includes tears. But always - always - this includes the active presence of the Father; the deliberate drifting into devotion to him. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Is that true for you? Is the presence your pulsating life-source of your faith? Please make it so - it is the only way to really have eternal life.

Question for reflection

What does your fellowship with the Father look like?