Changing the Way You Think About Relationships
One of the things God teaches us very early in His Word is that relationships are vital to life. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You and I couldn’t possibly understand completely all the ways that the three are One, but we know they are knit together in love. It is impossible to separate the unity in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When we understand this piece of knowledge, we can begin to see in some part God’s plan for us. Through Jesus Christ, God has made it possible for us to be reconnected to Him and remain so for all eternity. Because of Christ, we can become a part of God’s family and spend the entire span of our existence wrapped in His love. This is the love relationship He desires with each of us, and we have no other choice but to conclude that connecting to each other through His love is very important to His plan.
Ephesians 5:8(NLT) tells us, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” God has informed us in this verse of our spiritual condition before we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. We were children of darkness, but this has changed because of Christ, and we are now children of God’s light through the new birth experience. 1Thessalonians 5:5(NLT) says, “For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.” Think of all the wonderful things that light does. Consider what it symbolizes, goodness, intelligence, illumination, divinity,hope, and grace. As God’s people, these should be our trademark.
These qualities and so much more represent the nature of God. They leave a lasting imprint of His goodness and light, and He has empowered us to have this kind of impact on the lives of others, but sometimes we forget a few things. People mean the most to God, and He has created us in such a way that connections are very important; they make all the difference. So many of us have a life that feels very undone. We’re plagued with loneliness, isolation, and many other conditions that leave us feeling depleted of fulfillment and joy. We live in the information age, and we are bombarded with individuals who claim to have all the answers. Although some are well meaning, the solutions they offer don’t diminish the hole in the hearts of those that are confused, struggling, and searching for the kind of truth that delivers and makes one whole.
Don’t Let Discouragement Win
Many of us try to fit the mold of what society expects. We pretend to be happy and upbeat, when in our hearts many of us are experiencing feelings of deep sadness. We’re disappointed with our lives, feel emotionally wiped out, and some of us have become disillusioned in the faith because we don’t understand what’s happening. No doubt every believer has made strides in becoming more like Jesus Christ, this is God’s number one goal for us. We’re not perfect but we’re being perfected in Christ moment by moment, with each choice we make to choose love and light, and to cast off fear and darkness. It should not be lost on us that were also going to have seasons in life where things don’t come together in the way we expect. Rather than yielding to frustration and discouragement, which is exactly what the devil wants, we can make a different choice. We can press into God by seeking Him more diligently, because there’s more He wants us to see.
Seek God for Answers
Confusion and disappointment can persist when God’s purpose isn’t known. Romans 8:28 tells us that He causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them. GOD is the One who causes all things to work together for our good. His agenda comes first, and no matter how well-meaning our plans are, they will not supersede His purposes. Too often, we become dismayed and sometimes paralyzed in life because we know we need answers, but we’re either not asking God for them, or we are not asking Him the right questions.
Ecclesiastes 3:1(NLT) says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” We must know with every fiber in our being that our God leaves nothing to chance. Everything happens for a reason and it happens in the season He has appointed according to His divine purpose. Rest assured, God has an answer for every question we have, and He is more than willing to share it with us. The issue is whether we are willing to learn what the Father wants to teach us and willing to persistently seek out His answers, for Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 7:7(NLT), “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”