The Spiritual Practice of Giving God Joy

“What about me gives God joy? When I first asked myself that question, my mind went blank. I sat in silence for five minutes trying to think of one thing that I thought God liked about me. I knew God loved me after all love is the essence of who God is. To love is God’s nature, almost One might think, God’s duty. That God might actually enjoy who I am and love me because of that enjoyment rather than out of a sense of obligation was a new concept.”

I wrote these words five years ago for The Gift of Wonder. At the time I used the practice of asking God “what do you enjoy about me”, two or three times a year. Now as I complete my book Celtic Advent: Following An Unfamiliar Path, and take a break from this busy project, I am asking it again. It is a wonderful question to ask as we sit at the end of a creative project like this and bask in the delight we ourselves feel at what we have accomplished. But how does God feel, not about what we have done, but about who we are?

What about me gives God joy, I asked myself again as I relaxed yesterday. At first all I could think about was my writing project and the things I do that I know give God pleasure, like gardening, writing, creating contemplative gardens, standing up for justice to the marginalized.

Then I realized God is not only pleased with what I do, but with who I am. God delights in me when I laugh and sing and enjoy the feel of the wind on my face. God delights in me when I stand in awe of a sunset or the intricate design of a flower. God delights in me when I stand and stare at the light shining through the hairs on a cactus like the one above. God delights in me when I sit in stillness and enjoy the sense of the divine embrace. God delights in me when I walk around our local park with my dog and enjoy the beauty of Mt Rainier in the distance. God delights in me when I take time to play. The list goes on and on, but I rarely take time to note these things, yet as I do so joy bubbles up inside me.

Unfortunately, many of us live with a workaholic God who is only pleased with what we do, not with who we are. However we are designed to give God pleasure and to find pleasure in the ways we interact with God through spiritual practices and worship. Tragically, we rarely take the time to allow God to show us what our Creator delights in about us.

Have you ever asked God What about me gives you joy, God? I encourage you to do that this weekend. Set aside 30 minutes to just sit in the presence of God and savour the divine presence all around you. Make a list of what comes to mind as you ask this question. Like me you might be surprised at both the depth and the breadth of God’s delight in you.

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