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You could go to church for years and never enjoy this kind of communication with your spouse—or any other person. Though you have to be a Christian to experience communion with God and others (1 Corinthians 2:14; John 16:13), being a Christian does not automatically mean you will have it.
The reason is straightforward: It requires a broader amount of trust to engage another person in the secret part of your soul. Maybe you could think about it as you might think about those who babysit your children (if you have children). You would not give your most cherished treasures (children) to someone you do not trust.
If the person babysitting your children cannot steward the high honor of caring for them, they would disqualify themselves from caring for them. As it relates to your relationship with the Lord, you may share part of your experience with God with your spouse and with others.
You may let your spouse know some of the things you are learning or some of the ways you think about God and life. But if your spouse has a proven record of not being able to steward your deepest secrets, the more profound things will continue to be between you and the Lord.
There is a level of koinonia (community, communication, communion) you will not go to with another person if they are not mature enough to handle the full truth about you (John 16:12).
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
There are many things you appreciate about the Lord, but probably nothing ranks higher than the fact that He does not condemn you. There is no more condemnation toward those who have been saved by Christ.
All of your past, present, and future sins are under the blood of Christ, blotted out forever, and He will never hold them against you in any Divine court of law. You have been justified, set free, declared not guilty, and as long as Christ lives, you will live in that freedom (Galatians 5:1). That truth has set you free (John 8:36).
The gospel sets you free to enter into His courts (Psalm 100:4), ready to share all of the thoughts and intentions of your heart with Him–even though He already knows them (Hebrews 4:12-13)–because you are not afraid of Him. You know He is for you (Romans 8:31-39). You can be naked before God and not ashamed (Genesis 2:25).
What I am describing is the kind of relationship every married couple should be pursuing with each other. This kind of koinonia will not happen in a year or a decade but in a lifetime of pressing into God and each other. Sharing the farthest depths of your experience with God should be the goal for every couple.
It is typical when people come to me for counseling to talk about how they are having communication problems. I do not think many (if any of them) understand the depths of that word. Communication comes from the Greek word koinonia. I think if they fully understood the depth of their communication problems, it would be more discouraging to them.
What they are typically talking about and asking for are talk tips, some practical advice to help them communicate well with each other. I understand. They are trying to get along with each other, but they do not know how they are a million miles from what the Bible talks about when it talks about getting along with someone.
Christ’s primary objective for coming was not to help you get along with others. His purpose was to transform you into Himself (1 John 3:8).
In heaven, there will be perfect koinonia because there will be no sin. On earth, you have to fight for this kind of communication in relationships. There is a high price to pay to be able to enjoy reciprocal participation in the Spirit. The biggest hindrance to koinonia is a lack of confidence that others can handle the real truth about your life. So, what do you do? You do not go there with them.
I remember in the early part of our marriage how Lucia would share certain things with her friends—things she had not shared with me. I would become angry each time she did this. It was an insult. I would reason, “Why does she share her more intimate and personal thoughts with other people, but not with me?”
My first response was to be angry with her. It took a long time for me to realize how my jerk-ness was intimidating her from being intimate with me. It did not occur to me that the reason she would not share with me was that I was not mature enough to handle her truth. You can’t be harsh with your spouse and expect her to be open and honest with you.
She knew she could share her more profound struggles with others, but she could not share those things with me because I was not trustworthy. Because of how I had responded to her in the past, she felt it would be wiser and safer not to let me into the deeper places of her heart.
It takes two:
Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.
In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).
