Sometimes, we meet people and instantly we click. We might have completely opposite interests and appear to be the most unlikely set of friends, but there’s just something unexplainable that causes us to be drawn to certain individuals. The old saying tells us that opposites attract, and there might be something to this. God’s blessings are as unique as each of us, and its wonderful when our hearts welcome this truth. All of us have preconceived notions about others, and sometimes the stereotypes that are rampant in society get into our heads. They can negatively color the way we see each other, but when can reject those kinds of messages and resist the urge to judge, the most wonderful and fulfilling friendships can evolve.
It goes without saying that the most amazing, meaningful, and rewarding friendship of all is the one we have with God. There are some that haven’t come to a place in their lives where they realize this, but they would do themselves the greatest good if they accept the bounty our Heavenly Father offers. He wants a relationship with every living person. 1Timothy 2:4(NLT) tells us that He “wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” Our Heavenly Father gave the life of His only begotten Son to save us. He desires that we all accept His gift of salvation, because this is the way we become His children. The more we learn about Him through His Word, the more our hearts swell with love for Him. It’s a joyous and confident way to live life, and God wants every person to live this way.
His love is no ordinary love. It’s powerful, and it transforms us into the best versions of ourselves. A person might think, “Well if God’s love is so phenomenal, why doesn’t everyone accept it?” One of the reasons that many people don’t accept God’s love is because they’ve listened to the wrong people and believed the wrong information. People come up with their own preconceived notions about who God is and what He does, and they don’t take the time to read and study His Word to find out the truth of who He is.
Know the truth
Jesus Christ said in John 8:32(NLT), “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The freedom that God offers us through Jesus Christ removes the shackles from our hearts and minds. It allows us to receive and give love freely, with joy and grace. This freedom comes when we read, hear, and believe God’s truth!
The wrong information about God can cause us to develop the wrong beliefs about His goodness, power, love, and grace. This will keep us from living a full life with Him. We blame our Heavenly Father for the evil in the world and think that He does things He doesn’t do. This keeps us from deepening our relationship with Him, because wrong belief prevents us from having strong faith. Hebrews 11:6(NLT) says, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Our Heavenly Father rewards those who seek Him, and to seek Him, we must know a little bit about who He is.
Be thankful
Romans 10:17(NLT) says, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” Our faith grows and increases when we place ourselves in a position of hearing God’s truth. The more we know about God and what He’s accomplished through Jesus Christ, the more spiritually strong we become. This strength comes from God, and it is delivered through our faith in Him.
Romans 5:10(NLT) says, “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.” Saving us from the death, darkness, and destruction was God’s plan, and He accomplished this by sending His Son to earth to save us. We could never repay our Heavenly Father for what He’s done. It will take us an eternity to say thank you and to experience all the wonder of His love. He’s given us salvation as a free gift.
Ephesians 2:8(NLT) tells us, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” This is how much God loves us, He has saved us through His grace, and we did nothing to earn it, but we can do something to demonstrate our love towards God, and that is to have faith in Him. In Colossians 2:7, He makes it very plain how we’re to grow in our relationship with Him. He commands us to let our lives grow strong into Christ, so they are built on Him. When we do this with a heart that is thankful for all God has done for, in, and through us, our faith will please Him, our relationship with Him will deepen, and it will add love and richness to all that we do. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“Deepening Your Relationship with God”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2023. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.