A Daily Relationship with Christ: the Good, the Bad, and the Reality
We are wired for relationship. It is the instinctive need to love and be loved that drives us toward others. Although relational connections with other people are important, there is an even greater connection available to us…
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20
God loves us, and wants relationship with us. How unbelievable is that?! The living God of the universe, Creator of all things desires to know and be known by us! Not only did He show us grace by allowing Jesus to take on the punishment we deserve for our sin, but He wants more.
Relationships are about choice. God chose us, and because of that we have the opportunity to choose Him. Relationships grow with the choice to pursue. This is the hard part; the eternal choice is an obvious and easy one, but the daily choice to pursue doesn’t come quite so naturally.
Let’s take a further look into a daily relationship with Christ.
- The Good – God has given us exactly what we need to pursue Him. These are all things relationships need: being known and knowing the other, time together and communication. How is that even possible when the “other” in the relationship is the invisible God in heaven? Scripture tells us that “we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit is God’s provision for us to know Him and communicate with Him (John 14:26; Romans 8:26). A daily relationship IS possible because of the good gift God has given us through the Holy Spirit.
- The Bad – we’re human, and failure is imminent. Steph Curry is the greatest shooter in the NBA right now. He shoots the basketball with so much consistency that people expect the ball to go through the hoop every time he touches it… and it practically does. Even when Steph Curry is having a great game, he still misses a few shots. Earlier this season he made 78% of his shots in one game. Last time I checked, that’s less than 100%. While Steph is the best shot maker, he’s human and he’s not perfect. Scripture tells us that we are sinners, and as sinners we are imperfect. This is why we fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Thankfully, there is still hope! We are weak, but “[His] power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God doesn’t expect perfection from us, but He does desire for us to recognize our imperfection (weakness) and confess our need for Him daily.
- The Reality – Relationships take a lot of work… and they’re not easy. This is true of friendships, marriages, and especially our relationship with Christ. I am still a sinner, and every day that part of me is fighting against my relationship with Christ. The victory is already won (by Jesus!), but we face a daily battle. Don’t be caught off guard by a fresh fight each morning, instead “put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand” (Ephesians 6:11).
How blessed we are to have a God who loves us and wants relationship with us. Let’s thank Him for this gift of life with Him by choosing to pursue Him each day. He’s knocking at the door, and He wants you to open it.
Camper Corner:
God loves us and wants to be our friend. What are some ways we can grow closer to God? If friends need to talk, how can we talk with God?
