It’s All About Relationship
God’s heart is to have a real relationship with each of us.
God’s heart is to have a real relationship with each one of us. Really, we might ask? Yes. It’s true! He’s not angry with us. Not even a little bit! His love for us is more than we could ever imagine. Why? Most of us have never experienced anything close to this kind of love in our lives! 1 Cor. 13:4-7 describes God’s kind of love.
Let’s clarify one thing quickly: Christianity is not about religion. It’s NOT about behavior modification, either. So what is Christianity about? It’s ALL about a relationship with God. Unfortunately, many people, including believers in Christ, think Christianity is about following a set of rules and practices. They see God as demanding and fault-finding. But that is far from the truth!
Now, stay with us here. Why? Because we believe you will be FREED from a performance mentality like I was. You’ll quit wondering if you are doing enough to serve God and make Him happy. You’ll find out that He REALLY cares about having a relationship with you! You will realize that God is a loving Father!
If you’re familiar with the Bible and the Old Testament, you may remember the story about the prodigal son. In this story, we hear about a son who wants his inheritance before his father dies. Think about that. Hmmm. Well, the main point of this story is that the reaction of the Father demonstrates the true nature of our God!
Our God’s desire is to pour out His unconditional and extravagant love into our lives. He’s not after what we can do—He’s after our hearts (Prov. 23:26)! Now, meditate on that for a little while. For it is the truth that will set you FREE. When we understand His true nature, our hearts naturally become devoted and occupied with Christ. Then, out of that abundance that naturally flows out of our hearts, we serve Him and we serve others!
The fullness of God’s love for us was demonstrated at the cross when He sent His beloved Son, Jesus, to die for us. This is a major demonstration of how much our God values each of us! Meditate on that for a little while. Today, when God looks at us, guess what He sees? He doesn’t see our faults! No! Instead, He sees us as righteous because of Jesus’ finished work at the cross (2 Cor. 5:21)! Praise God! Hallelujah!
What does this mean for you? How do you “practically” live your life out with God? Well, for one thing, you don’t need to “have it all together” before you approach Him. Isn’t that refreshing? Instead, spend time talking to Him throughout your day. You can go before your heavenly Father and freely receive His love for you just as you are! Any time of day! Now isn’t that awesome!!