How to Be at Your Best in 2020 – #6: Daily Communion
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The last post in our five-post series: How to Be at Your Best
Number Six: Daily Communion.
By: Executive Pastor Dan Zimbardi
With all that is going on right now, maybe today is the day to begin intentionally experiencing daily communion with God. I am not talking about the physical sacrament of communion, though it is always good to start each day in remembrance of Christ and all he has done for us. We are referring to spending time daily with God.
Lori and I were with this counselor for a couple of days, and he said something that was so incredibly profound. I will try to get this quote right, “Commune well with God in the first half of your life…” What does commune mean? In this context commune well means to spend time with. Commune well with God in the first half of your life. Here is the second part of what he said, “…so in the second half of your life, you can live the freest creative life possible.”
The moment he said it—if I do communion well with God now, in the second half, I can live the freest and creative life—I immediately thought about the possibility of living in this ridiculous freedom. That’s for me! A lot less stress. A lot less worry. A lot less concern about performing.
“Commune well with God in the first half of your life so in the second half of your life,
you can live the freest creative life possible.”
Thinking about my most creative life possible, I started to think about the things I love to do. Spending all of my days creating and using my imagination. Not bogged down by all the other things I don’t enjoy. Commune well with God. Commune well right now.
John 10:10 states that the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly. God wants us to live an abundant life. Abundant life in this context doesn’t mean more stuff. Abundant life means a deeper communion with God. A deeper relationship with God—this is abundance.
Here’s a question for you if your focus is on daily communion.
Question: What are my daily spiritual disciplines and rhythms?
Action: Describe and process your most free and creative life. What fruit might you see if you are free from worry and stress? Write it down and talk about it. Then what does your most creative self look like? What are you doing? How are you spending your days?
As we wrap up our How to Be Your Best in 2020 series, I know things are a bit different in the world now than when we started. But we might just have a little more time while we are isolating ourselves from the outside world to work on the one thing that will help us be our best.
Pick the one thing that you will work on this year.
- Pursuing healing
- Growing in self-awareness
- Conquer deep-rooted insecurities
- Mature and grow up
- Make a big change. Especially during this time when businesses are shutting their doors. Maybe getting creative and doing something you never thought you would do is the thing to pursue right now.
- Daily communion
Once you’ve picked your one thing, here are some next steps for you.
It is called the Four C’s
- Commitment – I think all six of these are the tough things. I don’t think you pick any one of these and it’s like, man, no problem I’m going to go whiteboard this out, and I’m good. These are difficult things, and it requires a significant commitment. You have to work on it consistently. You’re going to need some tenacity, so once you identify your one thing, focus on commitment.
- Community – Invite people into your one thing. Don’t go it alone. Invite your community group. If you’re not in a community group, getting into a group. Right now, online groups are readily available. They are not always ideal, but they are easy to join and be a part of from home.
- Courage – You will need courage. When I think about this deep-rooted issue, I shared in the first post of feeling left—it is a big deal. I’m going to need courage. I have carried this baggage for a long time. I’m going to talk about it and get real about it. For some of us, courage looks like going to a therapist. For others, courage looks like going to see a doctor. Be courageous. It takes courage to share your story.
- Clarity – So that we know what God wants us to do. We all have busy, complicated lives. Clarity will help us have direction and give us the energy and the commitment to process through and work on hard things.
Invite God into your one thing and then submit yourself to him you can’t just do it with your small group, and you can’t just do it on your own you need the work of God.
Pastor Dan Zimbardi has been the Executive Pastor of Sandals Church, one of the largest and fastest-growing churches in America, for the past eight years. Dan spent twenty-two years as an entrepreneur and corporate executive and has worked with some of the most dynamic brands in the world, including Google, Nike, and Burton Snowboards. Dan’s passion is to train and develop leaders both in ministry and the marketplace.
Banner Photo by Noah Silliman
