You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.

Psalms 139:2-4, NIV

A Christian in whom the Holy Spirit dwells is never, ever alone. How much life changes once you truly believe that He wants to share life with you, is with you every minute, and knows your thoughts. He is a faithful friend, who always understands you, who totally gets you. He may not like all your thoughts, but you couldn’t drive Him away with a stick.

When Paul advised us to think upon whatever is lovely, true, noble, pure and right, he was doing us and the Holy Spirit a favor. How our unkind thoughts of resentment and judgment must disappoint Him! How our hunger and lust for everything other than Him must tempt Him to jealousy and anger. How our fears and doubts must grieve Him, as He sees we really do not trust Him — the most trustworthy One of all.

Really, would you want to know the secret thoughts of your intimates? And if you did, what do you imagine that would do to your relationship?

Yes, God can handle it. But the point is that He intended for your mind and spirit to be a place of rest for you both. He looks there for evidence of your faith in Him, your trust in His love, your confidence in His goodness.

Your mind should be a place of comfortable fellowship between your spirit and God’s, not a battleground. Your goal should be for your heart to become the place the Lord loves to dwell.

Scripture says you have been given the mind of Christ. There is no greater companionship than to share a mind. When you quiet yourself and look within for God’s thoughts, you will find what is lovely, right, pure and worthy of praise. Do that often enough and it becomes the habit, the environment of your mind. The Spirit will then have rest and joy in your presence, and you in His. There is no greater measure of companionship.

God’s Presence is His greatest gift to you. In the most delightful mentoring friendship imaginable, you have been brought close and offered the privilege of hanging out with a wise, admirable, caring person who draws you into who they are. Through companionship — safe, honest, inspiring — you gradually abandon the parts of yourself that don’t fit in such wonderful company.

You are changed by the relationship. That’s His plan. God’s “A” plan isn’t to transform you by zapping you with His power. And although change and transform is the result, His “A” plan is to actually reveal who He originally created you to be — how He designed you to be the day He formed you in your mother’s womb. God draws out and reveals you, made in His likeness, by loving you faithfully, day in and day out, letting you witness who He is and coming to know Him. As you get to know Him, you begin to recognize your true, original created self.

In the movie, “As Good As It Gets,” the volatile, superstitious, acid-tongued Jack Nicholson character — who would rather pop a pill to bring him within shouting distance of some ability to be kind than put out any effort of his own — is challenged by Helen Hunt’s character to do what we’ve seen is impossible for him: “Give me a compliment!” The quick tongue isn’t quick now. He is in unfamiliar territory, and we can see he is reaching for something new, something real to offer this woman who has inspired love and admiration in him.

Finally, he offers what he knows is pitiful and naked, but it’s all he’s got: “I didn’t take my pills today.” Mystified, the girl responds, “Excuse me? I asked you for a compliment about me! What do your pills have to do with anything?”

His response melts her, and us: “You make me want to be a better man.”

A true and good friend is someone who knows us as we really are and still stays. Who inspires us to higher expressions of who we can be.

Spirit life: never alone; never misunderstood; always loved.