When you fall in love with someone, it's a magical, heady feeling. You do your very best to cultivate the relationship, especially after the initial honeymoon period has passed.
But what's very important, and what we tend not to realize,
But what's very important, and what we tend not to realize,
is that, above all human romantic relationships, we should nurture our relationship with God. God, our Creator, our Father and our Savior, should be our first love. And it's not very hard to fall in love with Him.
God is amazing. He's the Creator of the whole Universe, down to every last detail. He's also a protector, a fighter, a power unlike any we've ever known. He's a peacemaker, a lover and gentle with His people. He is filled with mercy, grace and forgiveness. We can go on and on about all of the great things about God, but it's clear that it's pretty much impossible not to fall in love with Him.
And just like our own romantic entanglements, we should make sure to work on our relationship with God. Some of the most important factors in keeping a relationship alive include:
(1) Communication - In any relationship, it's important to make sure that you're on the same wavelength by talks and discussion. Prayer is definitely the best way of communication with God on an individual level. You not only use prayer to make your requests known, but to say thank you, ask forgiveness and generally just let God know how you're doing with your life. I like to think of prayer as a dialogue - you and God having a conversation.
(2) Commitment - A relationship is always a choice on the part of both parties. Now, there's no doubt in the world that God chooses to have a relationship with each and every one of His believers. It is only a question of whether or not you choose to have a relationship with Him. It's never easy to make a commitment but as you choose to do so, God will grace you with strength.
(3) Trust & Faith - According to the Oxford English Dictionary, trust means "firm belief in the reliability, truth ability or strength of someone or something". Trusting someone means believing in them and their capabilities. In God's case, it's a little more difficult sometimes because we can't see or know all that He is capable of.
This is where faith really kicks in. Hebrews 11: 1 tells us "...faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see". As we hear in the Gospel, "Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29). God asks for us to put our faith and trust in Him always.
(4) Love - Above everything else, we should always remember to love. For without love, there is no meaning to our relationship with the Lord (or with anyone else for that matter). 1 Corinthians 13 is the perfect set of passages to illustrate this concept. As it says in verse 13, "...but the greatest of these is love."
Falling in love with God is easy; working on a relationship with Him is slightly more difficult. But it is a commitment that is necessary as part of any believer's spiritual journey.
How do you take care of your relationship with God? Are there any other essential qualities that are important in maintaining relationships?
God is amazing. He's the Creator of the whole Universe, down to every last detail. He's also a protector, a fighter, a power unlike any we've ever known. He's a peacemaker, a lover and gentle with His people. He is filled with mercy, grace and forgiveness. We can go on and on about all of the great things about God, but it's clear that it's pretty much impossible not to fall in love with Him.
And just like our own romantic entanglements, we should make sure to work on our relationship with God. Some of the most important factors in keeping a relationship alive include:
(1) Communication - In any relationship, it's important to make sure that you're on the same wavelength by talks and discussion. Prayer is definitely the best way of communication with God on an individual level. You not only use prayer to make your requests known, but to say thank you, ask forgiveness and generally just let God know how you're doing with your life. I like to think of prayer as a dialogue - you and God having a conversation.
(2) Commitment - A relationship is always a choice on the part of both parties. Now, there's no doubt in the world that God chooses to have a relationship with each and every one of His believers. It is only a question of whether or not you choose to have a relationship with Him. It's never easy to make a commitment but as you choose to do so, God will grace you with strength.
(3) Trust & Faith - According to the Oxford English Dictionary, trust means "firm belief in the reliability, truth ability or strength of someone or something". Trusting someone means believing in them and their capabilities. In God's case, it's a little more difficult sometimes because we can't see or know all that He is capable of.
This is where faith really kicks in. Hebrews 11: 1 tells us "...faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see". As we hear in the Gospel, "Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29). God asks for us to put our faith and trust in Him always.
(4) Love - Above everything else, we should always remember to love. For without love, there is no meaning to our relationship with the Lord (or with anyone else for that matter). 1 Corinthians 13 is the perfect set of passages to illustrate this concept. As it says in verse 13, "...but the greatest of these is love."
Falling in love with God is easy; working on a relationship with Him is slightly more difficult. But it is a commitment that is necessary as part of any believer's spiritual journey.
How do you take care of your relationship with God? Are there any other essential qualities that are important in maintaining relationships?
Shalom..
No comments:
Post a Comment