By Civila Morgan
When you have or form a relationship with a family member or that new love of your life, what do you expect from that person? What do you expect from the relationship? What do you expect to contribute to the relationship? Have you ever thought about this as you headed into a new relationship? Almost every day we meet new people; every once in a while we click with someone. We do this by realizing that they remind us of someone we know and love or by finding out that we have things in common. Sometimes we be-friend people we didn’t think we would. But that happens when we are willing to step out of our little cliques and realize it’s a big world out there with a lot of very interesting people. But I digress.
So when you met God what did you expect from Him, what do you think He expected from you? Never thought about it? Don’t worry, you are not alone. You see, most people don’t think of God in these terms. Most people think of Him as up there in the universe somewhere while we’re down here living our lives. We may pray sometimes when things get rough. We may go to church every Sunday. But relationship, how is that possible? It’s not like we can see Him. Some might even ask if He really hears our prayers. Isn’t He busy running the universe? He is running the universe but He does have time to have a relationship with us. The key is this: We must want to have a relationship with Him. It takes two to have a relationship. As much as God wants to have a relationship with us, if we don’t want to have one with Him, it is not going to happen. Having a relationship with Christ is what makes us Christians - Christ Followers. Some people call this being religious. Well there is a difference. I touched on that in one of my previous articles, “Waiting on an answer from God”. Religious people go to church every Sunday.
They follow the laws or the rules, trying not to make mistakes. They follow the pomp and circumstance without ever feeling the stirring of the Holy Spirit within them. Some of them have attended church all of their lives without ever experiencing spiritual growth. Day in and day out; year in and year out, they go to church and come out of the building the same way they went in. For them, going to service is a duty and that is all that God should expect from them. Being a Christ Follower on the other hand, you get to have a relationship with God, with Jesus Christ. This relationship is a lot more exciting than the pomp and circumstance without growth. This relationship is a like having a relationship with someone you can see, someone who truly cares about you. The difference is that God will never fail you. Our family, friends, acquaintances, and co-workers can fail us. Whether they mean to or not.
As human beings, we are not perfect; but God is. He will never hurt us. The key to having a great relationship with Christ is to daily talk to him; also known as praying. We wouldn’t go for weeks or months without talking to our family members and friends. What kind of relationship would that be? Some people do this with God, only talking to Him when they need something. How would you feel if you only heard from your friend or family member when you needed something? God wants a relationship with us more than anything. When we cultivate that relationship with Him, we will notice a change in our lives and in our relationships. We will notice that we treat people differently. We will make better decisions. We will notice that it is no longer about pomp and circumstance but about pleasing God and watching Him work things out in our lives. Why not start cultivating a relationship with God today and see what He does. He will welcome you with open arms and He will never fail you.
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