June 29, 2019 – July 21, 2019
I’m a procrastinator (as the date range clearly reflects). It’s something I’m trying to work on; some days it’s easier than others. I’ve had this post in my mind for a good two to three months now, but it was a recent conversation with a dear friend that made me decide to write it now. So, come along with me and take some time to answer some questions and think….
Who are you closest with in your family? Is it one of your parents or a sibling? How is it that you became so close with that person? Or, maybe you don’t have any family members that you consider yourself to be close with. If that’s the case, then, I bet you have a friend that’s close to you, if you can’t think of a family member. Now, ask yourself how you became close with that person. Was it due to growing up with them or did it happen little by little at some point? I guess if you’re close with one of your parents (or both) that you still had to learn to trust them; but, you don’t necessarily remember that from when you were a young child. Either way, as an adult, you’ve decided to keep on trusting them. But, it’s not something that you just woke up one day and decided to do. Trust is also not something that you usually decide to do based on limited interaction. If so, it usually translates to a smaller amount of trust rather than full trust. The same is true if the person that you’re closest with is not a person that you grew up with. No matter who you are, it’s something that was learned.
I’m going to stick with the example of a parent for ease of writing, but feel free to insert whoever it is that you have in mind.
Now, I’m guessing that as you got older that your relationship with your parent changed somewhat. You slowly matured, and they stopped treating you like a child. You think differently now and act differently now. How did that come to pass? My guess is that as you matured, and time passed, that you began to understand more and more about the kind of behavior they wanted from you. But, you probably now understand why it was they wanted certain things for you or from you… that it wasn’t just an arbitrary set of suggestions made up on a whim. You knew that your parent loved you and guided you for your own good, and at times, your own protection. And, even if you couldn’t understand it then, I’m going to go out on a limb and bet that as an adult that you can see the picture more clearly now and recognize how they guided you out of love, not just someone raining on your proverbial parade.
A few more questions for you… While your parent has known you during your process of growing up and becoming and adult, have you taken time to get to know your parent? Growing up we know some of our parent’s likes and dislikes, but to really get to know your parent you have to spend time with them. That’s part of a successful relationship of any kind… getting to know one another. A one-sided relationship is generally a dysfunctional one. My guess is that if you have a successful adult relationship with your parent that it’s one with head knowledge and heart knowledge of who they are, their love for you, their interests in life, and their hopes and dreams, etc. You’ve moved from a relationship where they were just providing to one where there is now give and take.
Do you see where I’m going with this? I didn’t bury the lead… it’s literally in the title of this blog post.
Just as you grew up and had a relationship with your parent that has changed over time, God, our Father, wants the same kind of relationship with you. Now, I know that some people don’t have an earthly father or mother, or that their relationship with them is poor. However, you know in your heart what kind of relationship that you long for with them. What if they longed for that same kind of relationship with you? What if they actually longed for a deeper connection than you can even think of or imagine right now because it’s so unfamiliar to you? Well, my friend, that’s the kind of relationship that God wants with you as our heavenly Father.
He first wants us to come to know Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus died to cover our sins (the past ones, the present ones, and our future ones). A love like that doesn’t just want a one-way relationship. God wants to talk with you, to love you, to provide for you, to comfort you, to guide you, and to forgive you. (As I’m writing this blog I can’t help but think of some of the major points that I’m glossing over, but they will have to wait for another time. I should keep track of all the times I say this.) After you and I accept Jesus into our heart it’s not something that we should let sit on the shelf. I mean, you’ll always have it, but what good is a present that you sit on the shelf? God wants a relationship with you! You’ll never fully understand and be able to experience the gift He’s given without interacting with Him.
Just as a child learns to walk by first crawling, the Lord understands that we’re generally not going to get saved and live a spiritually mature life right off the bat (it is possible though). I once heard a preacher say that sometimes God will give more miracles to new believers because it helps them to believe when they’ve first come to Christ. I’ve considered this and I think there’s some truth to it. God will provide miracles to any believer (new or old), but I can see what the preacher was talking about. You don’t learn to walk and then crawl the rest of your life though. So, why is it that many Christians (me included) crawl in their walk with God so often instead of learning to walk with Him?
Jesus told a parable about this in Luke 8 concerning the sower and seeds that fall on to different areas of the ground. I can say that I was a seed that was in the thorns for a long time; but, I was finally planted in good soil. If you’re unfamiliar with that parable, read it here from Bible Gateway:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+8&version=NIV
This is also what the Bible is talking about when it mentions believers not moving on from spiritual milk to meat (or solid food) in Hebrews 5:12-14 (NIV):
“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
Basically, you’re crawling when you should be walking (or running) at this point. That was me! And, the sad thing was that the only thing holding myself back was me! I’ve owned a Bible my entire life and didn’t actually pick it up to do much with it except for church on Sundays and to look up an occasional question I might have every once in a blue moon… and the actual “blue moons” occurred more than I picked up my Bible. There are people in countries that can be tortured or killed for owning a Bible or that would weep if they could just hold one… and, I let it just sit there for years! I remember being so touched when I saw a short video of a group of Chinese people receiving Bibles. They were so overwhelmed with joy that they were weeping. It made me realize how blessed I am for living in America and the freedoms that come from living here – and how I had neglected to realize the gift I have by being able to hold a Bible in my hands and read it any time I want.
It wasn’t until I felt hopeless and helpless that I finally picked up my Bible and started to read it. Then, it was like I couldn’t get enough of it. I was seeing God’s fingerprints in so many areas of my life once I actually took time to get to know Him and to better understand the heart that He has for me! I will say that I also realized that the format in which my Bible was laid out was not the most helpful for me. It may sound like a small thing, but I realized that I prefer reading two columns to a page versus all words being in one column (like a traditional book) to read. I also found a study Bible that addresses certain topics as well as expounds on certain passages in the Bible. There are also various translations that are helpful for some people. Some that I prefer are the New International Version (NIV), the New Living Translation (NLT), and the Amplified Bible (AMP). My pastor sometimes uses the English Standard Version (ESV). They all get the same point across; it’s just sometimes easier for some people to fully grasp one translation over another. My physical Bible is the NIV, but I use the Bible Gateway app on my phone to read the NLT and AMP versions. When searching the internet there are a couple of websites that I like to use that offer ease of access to various translations.
Some people view God’s Word as a strict set of rules. I would say that they really haven’t sat down to read and understand what God is trying to tell us. There’s a difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Maybe this is something that I’ll write about later? There’s a whole lot of freedom in the New Covenant. But, no matter what, God’s Word is a guide for our lives because there is purpose in His words. There’s a reason that parents tell their children to not touch a hot stove or to not eat too much ice cream – neither one is good for their health. God’s Word does the same for our lives as Christians! Without diving into that, I’m just going to trust that you understand the point that I’m trying to make.
I don’t read my Bible today as often as I did about a year ago, but I would say that I was sort of binge reading it at the time. I tend to be more steady about it now. Sometimes my frequency comes and goes, but I try to get into the Word more often than not. At times, I listen to more online sermons than read by Bible. But, I try to not let this take place of reading God’s Word. Online sermons are not the same as spending one on one time with God, but they are helpful. When you read the Bible and really want to get to know God (rather than reading it to just answer a question on a topic – and I’m not knocking that as a reason to read the Bible) then you realize that there is love written all over the pages. He’ll speak to you as you read, sometimes more than other times. It becomes very personal. It’s like God is reaching out to you as an individual – in a way that is not common throughout other areas of life.
This is what I mean about having a relationship with God versus a religion. God doesn’t want us to have a religion with Him; He wants us to have a relationship with Him. He doesn’t want us to spend time doing something or not doing something because we were told that we should or shouldn’t do it. He doesn’t want us going to church because we grew up going to church, because our friends attend, or because we’ll feel guilty if we don’t. No! He wants us to go so that we can learn more about Him and His love for us. And, we should go because we are called to be part of the body of Christ… and because iron sharpens iron… and because we learn more about Him! He already knows us and our thoughts (Psalm 139) – still, He wants a relationship with us. He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer and learn about Him through His Word. Part of being in a relationship is that it’s not one-sided. So, take time to get to know God and learn how much He loves and cares about you!
God has basically given us the keys to His house (and allows us to freely snoop around). We get to go from room to room learning about Him. I picture myself going into a living room and seeing a bookshelf filled with books and pictures – some with people and others of scenery – getting to know more about what He’s like. What good is having a set of keys unless you use them to walk through the front door?! And, don’t rush through the house either – you’ll miss the good stuff! You can get a very good idea of what someone is like by just being in their environment – all without ever meeting them face to face. The Bible is just that – getting to know God. Take the keys… open the door – and then walk around from room to room getting to know Him. Pick up the picture frames (the books of the Bible) and read them and see what picture He’s given us to look at and learn about His love for us. Some books of the Bible may be harder to understand than others; but, pray for discernment and God won’t let you down. It may also take you coming back to read it again. Some passages speak to you differently depending on what you may be going through at the time. Don’t just tour the home (religion) – take time to look around and get to know the house and who lives there (relationship).
God’s love for His people is written all throughout the Bible – even in Esther when God’s name isn’t mentioned at all. God’s love for us is similar to when we worship Him. He’s telling us how much He loves us all throughout the Bible. And, when we praise and worship Him – whether it be through our words, actions, or by singing – then we are letting Him know how much we love Him. It’s about interacting with Him (relationship) – not a cordial set of rules and regulations (religion). Plant yourself in some good soil and start eating some meat… I know I’ve mixed parables here, but you know what I mean! And, if you don’t, then go read Luke 8 and Hebrews 5.
Take time to get to know Him, friend. He’s waiting on you. It will be a surreal experience – I PROMISE! And, while you’re at it, take time to think about your earthly connections with others… do you have valuable relationships or are you just going with the flow of things in a static motion? Take time to be less selfish and connect with others in a meaningful way. I’m convinced that selfishness is the cause of so many issues in the world today (amongst other things).
Until next time, God Bless,
Penelope G.
PS* I’m full of strange phrases, clichés, metaphors, and analogies. I know that there are people from all around the world that read this blog (I’m still in awe of this). I hope that no matter where you’re from that you’re able to understand all of what I write. And, I’m not quite satisfied with the flow of this blog, but it will have to do. I pray that God gives you an understanding of how I meant it when I wrote it.