An Invitation to Relationship

I grew up going to church, I attended with my grandmother almost every Sunday. Even when I was a teenager and church was no longer a requirement, I chose to go to bible study once a week. Before I got married, I told my husband that I wanted to be a family that served in the church all the time; when I had my children, we went to church every week. I knew there was something important I was supposed to be getting from this but I did not know what it was or how to attain it. I now find it very interesting how little I actually knew about my faith. If someone asked I would proudly claim that I was a Christian! I knew that Jesus died to save me from my sins (but even my understanding of what this meant was limited). And I knew that sin was wrong (but I did not fully understand what sin was or how I could be free from it).  I knew the cliff notes of Christianity but I was missing so much. I did not know it then but this was the reason I struggled with sin and shame for years. It explains why I relied on intellect and hard work, over faith and love. The biblical highlights and encouraging messages I received at church were no match for the trauma and daily struggles of my life. I was missing two key components of the faith; biblical literacy, and a relationship with God.

Submitting to The One 

Everything changed when I came against a problem I could not solve. No amount of intellect was going to help, and there was nothing I could do to change things. In desperation and brokenness, I called on the Lord. In a mess of tears and unintelligible groans I submitted myself to God. He heard me that day, and not only did he handle the situation, he gave me the strength to make it thought while supporting others. And as I let go, more and more, I felt peace, and as it says in Philippians 4:6-7, he gave me the kind of peace that just does not make sense given the situation.

After that experience, I was hungry for more. I needed to know more about this God who had truly showed up for me. I started reading my bible with the same focus I had read my textbooks in college, and the same dedication I gave my policy manuals at work. I needed to understand who He was, How He thought, His character. I was seeking God. I did not know it but this seeking had lit a fire in me that my family and friends could see a mile away.  

As I studied, two things became clear to me in my reading, God is powerful and awesome, ; the other is that He desires a relationship with us. We often focus on Gods power and his ability. I think this is why so many of us get stuck in the trap of treating Him like a vending machine or worse avoiding Him all together for fear of his wrath, but this is a mistake.

His Desire for Us

GOD desires relationship with each of us. Our heavenly father knows us inside and out. Even the hairs on our heads are numbered. Psalms 139:16 says;

"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

We often don't know God in a relational way, we know of Him. We have heard about what He has said, and what he Has done in biographical way rather than an experiential way. There can be many reasons for this. For years I felt unworthy of God’s attention so I strived to make my own way. I tried to be "good" and to do "right". I knew God loved me, but I did not understand that He was waiting for me to get to know Him so I could learn to love Him. We can not say we love God, if we don't know Him. God desires that we know what He is saying to us, and what He is doing for us, in an active an present sense. The stories of the Bible are meant to help us recognize God her and now, today. God is speaking now. Can you hear Him. Do you recognize His voice, His personality? If not that is ok, today is a good day to introduce yourself to Jesus. It a relationship with God that changes lives. 

As you spend time with God you will know more about Him. You will experience, not just read about His love, His healing, His Peace. It is in that quiet place of prayer, where you pour out your heart, you can confession and share all your fears and failures with the One who made all things. In those moments you are being filled with His Holy Spirit. It is in these encounters and the following hours, days, weeks, that the Holy Spirit does the work of sanctification (changing us to be more like Jesus). and drawing us closer to Himself. 

How to Build a Relationship with God

Building a relationship with God requires;

1. Time and Effort - Many of us have busy lives, and if we do not take time for God, we will never have time for Him. You must schedule time for Jesus the same way you make a date or schedule a meet up with a friend. Make time to meet up with God. Read your Bible to learn about all that He has done and all He promises to do. Read about His unfailing love for you and the gift He has given you in Jesus Christ.

   
   

2. Open and honest communication- Prayer is the way we communicate with God. There is no protocol or proper way to do it. You just speak your honest heart to Him and He will respond. Sometimes He will speak in the moment but most often He will answer us throughout the day, through His written word ( the bible), through other people, or even in the beauty of nature. He speaks in so many different ways, be ready. Expect to hear from Him.

   
   

3. Fear and Trust - This may be a difficult one to understand at first. The fear of God is not about panic or dred; it is about respect and reverence for the One who was, and is, and will always be. The one who created everything that was made. The fear of God is acknowledging the fact that God is sovereign and all powerful. Trusting God is easy when you understand two things; He is all powerful, and He loves you with an everlasting and unfailing Love.

Creating a relationship with God may seem intimidating but it does not have to be. You build a relationship with God in much the same way you build a relationship with anyone. The difference is that God loves you more than you can imagine and this relationship will not only change your life for the better, it leads to eternal life in Jesus.