This post is part of a series of core Christian principles for new believers. For more, visit the series archive.
This post examines the need to hear God and to be heard by Him as an essential part of your Christian walk.
Relationship vs. Religion?
There are two types of religion,
The divinely instituted worship of God.
The human-made system of faith and worship.
God told Adam (the first human being) how to worship Him, and Adam taught it to his children.
However, Cain, the son of Adam, decided to make up his own religion, offering harvested crops instead of animal sacrifice, which God rejected.
Ever since then, people have been creating human-centered worship, blending various religious beliefs and practices, hoping that God would accept it.
The divisions caused by (dis)agreements of biblical doctrine have led to over 400 different denominations within Christianity.
Several denominations require their members to meet special conditions, and a refusal can result in being outcasted, even though you're a true Christian.
When finding your Church-home, you will have to choose between a particular denomination with set rules or join a non-denominational Church.
"One person values one day over another, another values every day the same. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and the one who eats, does so with regard to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and the one who does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat, and he gives thanks to God.
But as for you, why do you judge your brother or sister?" -Romans 14:5-12 (NASB)The Bible tells us that we shouldn't abuse our Christian freedoms or condemn our brethren for exercising their liberties.
All in all, we are brothers and sisters in Christ who died to set us free so that we can enjoy this life God has given us.
"So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law." - Galatians 5:1 (NLT)Jesus Christ loves YOU, and He wants a personal relationship with YOU, not a religious system made up of tradition and routines.
Why spend time with God?
How do you befriend someone you do not know?
How can you love someone when you don't spend intimate time together?
Illustration: Imagine being physically introduced to Jesus Christ by a mutual friend.
You two greet, and you accept the free gift He's offering. Jesus asks to hang out, and y'all agree to get together on the weekend.
You're so excited and grateful that you did a bit of research on Jesus. Soon you feel like you know Him already and decide not to show up on Sunday.
Jesus calls you the following week to chat, but you screen His calls. He sends His other friends to check up on you, but you ignore them.
Eventually, the potential of a great relationship fades away due to the lack of effort on your part.
God will not force us into a relationship with Him, but He will always be there waiting.
We receive many benefits by simply knowing Christ, and much more when we make time to build a close and personal relationship with Him.
One awesome benefit is full transparency.
When we are in the presence of others, we're reluctant to be vulnerable. With good reason, humans are quick to judge and find it hard to forgive.
Yet God understands all and forgives everything for His children.
It's an emotional relief to dedicate private time to God, unveiling our deepest and most coveted thoughts, desires, and even mistakes.
How to make time for God?
When you think about your closest friend, how much time do you want to spend with them?
You'd try to hang out with them every day, before school, in between classes, even after school.
The effort you put into building meaningful relationships on earth is the start of growing closer to God.
We all have the same 24 hours a day, and we choose how we want to fill it.
You accept the job position with your preferred hours.
You pick the classes with the best time period.
You eat, sleep, and workout when you feel like it.
You can easily make God a priority if you truly want to!
Here are a few ways to help you:
1. Incorporating Breakfast and Bible Study before the day begins.
2. Singing praises to God as you get dressed.
3. Listening to God's Word on your commute.
4. Reminisce with God on situations He has brought you through.
5. Praying multiple times a day.
6. Attending both Sunday service & Wednesday night bible study.
7. Attending seminary classes.
Over time you will draw closer to God and begin to recognize His voice more and more each day.
How do I show love towards God?
When exploring the word 'Love,' we come up with several definitions because it can be expressed in many ways.
Love is an active choice, not a passing emotion.
Take a look at the biblical definition of Love:
"Love is patient, love is kind.
Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable,
and does not keep a record of wrongs.
Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things."
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (CSB)Love is not some deep-seated emotion that comes and goes at any moment. It's a powerful choice of the will to do what's pleasing for the one you're expressing love to.
So then what is well-pleasing to God?
Faith in Him (Hebrews 11:6)
Respecting Him (Psalm 147:11)
Praising Him (Psalm 69:30-31)
Keeping and obeying His commandment (John 14:15)
Sharing the gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:4)
Children obeying their parents (Colossians 3:20)
Doing righteousness and justice (Proverbs 21:3)
Giving thanks to God in every circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Caring for the widow, the fatherless, and the poor (Deuteronomy 10:18)
Spiritual growth and living (Romans 8:8)
Now that you understand why and how to love the Lord, you must make a choice to implement this learned knowledge into your daily Christian walk.
Scriptures:
"If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments." - John 14:15 (AMP)
Songs:
"Why did I roam so far from You oh Lord, I had You right inside the center of my heart,
and I took it for granted but You always stayed by my side, and
You always answered my cry, and when I fall You catch me
Cause You are the Loving Kind..."
"What would You say if I told You that my food ain't even food
It's Your work that gets me through Though sometimes I'm distracted but
I do this life for the One I love
I'll serve You till the end, Lord..."
Sermons:
The God Who Speaks - Part 1 (20 mins)
Wandering From The Word - Part 1 (20 mins)
Learning to listen to God is one of the most essential parts of the Christian life. If we want to hear from God, we need to set aside time to be alone with Him...
As we continue in our Christian walk closer to God, we will examine our personal relationship with Him in [Step 6] Knowing His Ways.
I truly believe that if God's Children can know how to have a relationship with Him, we as believers can follow the ways of Christ better. Thanks Sada, your examples are great! They really show us how & when to build an intimate relationship. The most exciting part of this post is the rewards we receive by being guided by God, He always has the best answers to life. I'm glad we have a Heavenly Father we can always depend on! #Jehova Jireh