A loving relationship takes being intentional about cultivating the relationship and making adjustments. Many relationships fail because of these two important factors. Some marriages fail simply because couples neglect to make the necessary adjustments needed for the relationship to prosper.
If we really love God, it's necessary for us to make some adjustments. Because God has loved us in such an extraordinary way (Romans 5:8), and the Biblical response to that love He has expressed is to love Him with our obedience, often we need to make adjustments in our lives so that we are in line with His Word. What does that look like you might ask? This looks like each of us spending quality time in the Scriptures daily, getting to know the God that we love more and more each day. As we get to know Him, and we begin to really learn the standards that He has for us to live by, then we apply those standards to our lives. I've been married for a few years now. What I've learned is that in order for my Wife and I's relationship to continue to be successful and to continue to grow it takes both of us being intentional about getting to know each others needs and desires. That takes making the relationship a priority. That means we are intentional about talking to each other, and spending time with each other. We often ask each other our likes and dislikes. Our desire is that as we learn more about each other we can be better spouses toward one another. We as the the Church are the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32). If we really love God and we want to live lives that please Him, we need to be intentional about pursuing Him in His Word. As our knowledge of Him grows, we can be a better bride for Him. I want to encourage you today to dig into the Scriptures and be intentional about it. Get to know the God that we love so much and apply His standards to your life. Blessings.
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"I love God" Many people say this statement on a daily basis. How many of those people, if you look at their lives, could you truly see the love that they claim that they have for God? Loving God takes more than just saying it, it takes living it. If you were in a relationship with someone and they said. "I love you", you would expect there to be some action to back up those words wouldn't you? If someone said that they loved you, but didn't talk to you or never spent time with you, or even did things that they knew you didn't like, would there actions prove that they loved you? Of course not! In fact if someone said they loved us and treated us this way we would probably end the relationship.
Many people who claim that they love God, treat Him this way on a daily basis. Some people don't talk to Him (prayer), some don't spend time with Him (Bible Study) and some enjoy habits that they know He doesn't approve of (sin), all the while claiming that they love Him. Thank God He's not like us and doesn't end our relationship. Instead He loves us unconditionally and is willing to forgive us for our short comings and welcomes us into right relationship with Him through Jesus. If we really love God, we have to love Him with all of our lives. Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37b that we must "Love the LORD your God... with all your soul." The original word for soul in the verse means breath. If we're breathing we're alive. If we claim to love God, it should be evident in how we live. Our love for Him should be expressed in our every day lives. God loves us so much that He sacrificed His only Son for us so that we could have relationship with Him. Our response to His love is submission in obedience. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, "And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again." What does it look like when our lives are in submission to God? When we do what God says our lives actually look like Jesus's life. We live lives of prayer, we read the scriptures consistently, we spend time in worship and gather with others doing the same. Not only that, but we also live lives of love and service to one another. Loving God isn't something we can say and mean, without demonstration, if we love God we have to prove it with our lives. He's truly worth living for. Blessings. |
AuthorHusband, Father, Red-Letter Christian, Preacher of the Gospel. Archives
June 2021
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