Build the loving relationship
God wants to have with us.
Prove that God exists.
Gain a sense of purpose and
contentment in life as a result.
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1. INTRODUCTION
Firstly, do you doubt that God would want a relationship with you? The woman, in the image, ‘personifies’ that self questioning. She also features on this website’s homepage. And the answer to that ‘doubt’ is offered under the next heading.
Now, if you have any other serious doubts in your mind, that prevent the start of your journey of faith, then please begin by reading the article, “Too good to be true?” Indeed there is a ‘whole pile’ of articles under the heading, “Deal with Doubts” in the Menu Bar above to help you.
This website, above all else, aims to help readers to both come to ‘know that God is real’ and ‘build sound Christian faith’ for themselves. As a result, they can also gain a real sense of ‘contentment and purpose’ in life. My own experiences have made it clear to me that creating a relationship with God is absolutely necessary to meet those goals.
(I am from a senior auditing background and the majority of my advisory team are Christian ministers. To glimpse the ‘who’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ of this website please click here. This website is the result of a serious long-term investigation of practical Christian faith in action within life.)
2. GOD WANTS A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU!
The previous (and first) article in this “Journey of Faith” section of the website, “How to believe in God” offered the following advice:
“Anyone at all CAN come to believe in God by personally ‘connecting with him’: by entering into that all important relationship God wants to share with each of us. Yes, if we want real evidence-based belief in the Lord, this is where we start!
2.1 God has laid the painful groundwork
I will say upfront here, that I am totally confident God really DOES want a deep loving relationship with each and every one of us! And that is emphasised in the Bible itself (e.g. Matthew 23:37). Indeed, God’s freely given love for us sits at the very core of our beautiful Christian religion (e.g. John 3:16,17).
Our awesome yet ‘unlikely’ universe, our very special Milky Way galaxy with perfect Planet Earth sitting in that ideal solar system ‘are ALSO testament‘ to his love for us. It is ‘all there’ so that we have somewhere to physically exist AND then enter into that loving relationship with him! Yes, a relationship that need NEVER end.
Now, perhaps you are thinking about becoming a Christian. If so, the Bible explains that it does not matter what bad things you have done in the past, because Jesus has already ‘cleaned the slate’ for you through ‘the cross’. We really can accept, through ‘faith’, that Jesus did that two thousand plus years ago when he (God in human form) died on that cross. Hence one of Jesus’ titles is, “Lamb of God” as explained in the article of that name.
Yes, as the ‘sacrificial lamb’ Jesus painfully offered his life through God’s love so as to redeem/ pay for all of our wrongdoings (so as Christians we can each come to enjoy eternal life).
2.2 The rest is up to us!
In effect, all we have to do now is CONCENTRATE on our relationship with our God.
We just need to ‘engage with God‘. Yes, we must make that decision! God is always ready and waiting for us. That is, in the way he offers us in the Bible.
Based on my own 30 plus year ‘evaluation‘ of using Christian faith within life, that is where we do come to recognise God’s presence; God’s existence. Potentially, VERY clearly!
3. PREPARING FOR THAT RELATIONSHIP
As a result of God’s offer to us, we can come to gain the benefits, freely available to us, that indeed are on offer both within our present earthly lives and in the life to come.
3.1 Understanding WHAT we are trying to believe in
Again from my experience, the first step involves getting a theoretical understanding of God and the personal relationship he offers to each of us. In this manner, we begin to build our Christian ‘faith‘. Ultimately we build that faith through Bible-based knowledge, supported by our ever deepening personal relationship with God. Which is the subject of this particular article.
Yes, that step of ‘building knowledge’ is certainly important. Because, it is very hard to believe in anything at all without first understanding ‘what we are trying to believe in’. And I repeat that statement many times in this website.
The article, “Our amazing Bible” follows this one, and offers basic advice on how to decipher it.
The Bible actually explains to us:
- Who God is;
- What God has done for us;
- What God offers us through faith;
- What God expects of us.
I have to offer some very important advice here though! So as to make sure that our Bible studies are effective, we DO NEED to be guided by our ‘church of choice‘.
And look, for a brief explanation of Christianity and our God please read the article, “Christianity explained”. Also if you do have time, please read the first four chapters of the Book of Mark, in the Bible, for an overview of Jesus, the ‘Son of God‘.
3.2 Using our faith to engage with God
Once we have built up some Bible-based knowledge of our Lord, we can then MOVE ON to the important step of accepting (through ‘faith’) that God really is there waiting. That is, loving each of us and WANTING us to enter into that relationship with him.
So, please read on …
4. BEGINNING THE RELATIONSHIP
Ok, so how do we go on to build this ‘relationship’ with God?
4.1 Going to church
I have already explained above (under subheading 3.1) how our church should lead us to understand about our loving God.
On this we base our relationship with him, of course. So, as already suggested, we begin to connect with him through a fellowship of faith; a church. The article, “Choosing a church” should guide you in that task of ‘choice’. Most churches have their ‘pros and cons’ as far as each of us are concerned.
The services you attend in church will certainly help build-up your relationship with God.
Yes, you CAN actually connect with God there, for example through involvement with prayer and praise, in any old traditional church for example.
AND some serious stuff, indeed offering strong evidence of God’s presence there, IS also on offer from him in some other churches, e.g. within the Pentecostal/ Charismatic Movement! Mind you, none of this is manadatory. For an overview of what is on offer from God through the many church options available, just read the article ‘God’s presence in the Church‘.
Our ‘faithfulness’ towards him also grows gradually as a result of regularly attending church. And when the time is right, we DO need to be baptised; as a sign that we have become true members of the ‘body of Christ’ (the Church). We should do so as soon as we feel comfortable with that as practising Christians.
4.2 God in your everyday life
We should ALSO begin to engage with God in our daily lives: looking for his ‘guidance‘, his ‘assistance‘ and wisdom there. God knows the exact direction in life we should each be headed. Yes, as mentioned in the previous article, “How to believe in God“, God actually has a life-plan for each of us.
You can even gently begin, through “Praying for things“, to invite him to bring positive needs-based changes to your life and the lives of others.
Please use those links above to assist you though. Also note that I used the words, “needs-based”. I was not referring to wishlists etc. I’m sure you understand the difference. Yes, I do go ‘on and on’ about that point in this website! But always remember, God IS ready to give his guidance/ assistance/ emotional strength to each of us when we do need his loving care.
And as you may well guess, there are some responsibilities for us in life resulting from that relationship with God. We do need to follow the Bible’s guidance as best we can. Life should never be “just about me!” The article, “Building sound faith” in this website section briefly discusses those responsibilities under Heading 3.
5. THE RELATIONSHIP DEEPENS
With the passing of time God REALLY wants our relationship with him to become deeper. He dearly loves each one of us, and wants us to come to actually love him back. God, in the person of Jesus, gave us this directive, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” [Mark 12:30]. And as the relationship deepens, so the ‘evidence‘ of his presence becomes all the more concrete, I can assure you.
You will certainly come to find that God is ready and willing to apply his unconditional love to our lives, when we in turn are ready to open ourselves to it.
At first, it might just look like a ‘tall order’ to actually love God, as Jesus instructed. And I personally understand that. Yes indeed! Again, I have been there … particularly in my early days of faith … struggling with that one. But yes, honestly, it comes to be easier than we could have ever dreamt! And our wonderful Bible can give us so much guidance on the Lord’s true nature and just what is offered to us through our ongoing relationship with God.
5.1 Set time aside to spend with God
I guess it should be obvious to all of us to regularly spend time, on our own, in God’s company … and not just at church. Pretty well any relationship needs ongoing communication to survive eh? In God’s case, it means talking to him through prayer, and in time sensing his presence; his love. And indeed, being grateful that this INFINITELY powerful spiritual ‘being’ wants a relationship with each of us.
Even just sitting with him in silence and reverence can really help our relationship. And mind you, little messages from him can even pop into our minds during these sessions. Helpful hints, or advice on directions in life we should take etc., can arise.
Now, I am not saying either that all this stuff happens easily for us. We are human beings after all, aren’t we?
Again I really do suggest you also spend time, on your own, reading the Bible. We can never know too much about God. And the Bible really is the best tool to use so as to ‘grow our knowedge’. This is in addition to being guided through the Bible by our church as explained above.
Again God can occasionally highlight hints and directions in our minds, that can bring about positive changes in life, as we read the Bible.
You can also access an online application, “The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel”. That ‘app’ offers ongoing daily lessons about the Bible’s content and its advice to us (you can choose to either read or listen to the lessons).
5.2 Connecting with God deeply
But, as our faith deepens and God’s ‘personality’ becomes knowable through our experiences it really begins to happen for us. (Amazingly, what the Bible explains about God CAN become first hand knowledge for us as a result.)
I eventually came to find that it was often in my best interests to just trust God with life issues. Yes, I largely moved away from asking for ‘specific’ help with my needs (and those of others) through prayer, and just plain handed over those ‘needs’ entirely to God. As such, I totally believed that God would ‘knowingly’ bring about the best outcomes possible in those circumstances. And, ‘what do you know’ I found in hindsight that was what generally DID come to happen!
As I explained in that previous article, “How to believe in God“, it all becomes a matter of ‘more of the same’, ‘more of the same’! In other words, God’s loving presence eventually just seems … natural … to us. That is, the positive effect of God’s ‘loving care’ in our lives. And I must add to the lives of others who we get the chance to help.
We should also regularly engage with God through ‘mature prayer‘ (including concentration on our devotion and commitment to him) as well as placing our growing ‘trust in God‘ … in all regards. Yes, click onto that last link and, based on my own lengthy experience, read an explanation of just how SOLID EVIDENCE of God’s presence does pile up. That is as we become ‘faithful’ Christians, trying our best to live life as God wants of us … yes, a life of faithfulness. SO, from my experience, the more we keep God ‘in the loop’ within our lives, then the more evident he becomes. DEFINITELY!
For an explanation of this depth of faith, again have a look at the article, “Building sound faith“. And again, the concept of “faithfulness” is also explained there under subheading 3.2. Strangely perhaps, the better we do with all this then the greater sense of purpose and contentment we come to experience in life. Yes, please also read the article, “What does faith offer us?” when you get the chance.
Remember too, that life will NOT be free from hard times. From my own experiences, although we might not guess it beforehand, these tough times can seriously help build our relationship with the Lord. He will always be there to help lift us through tough times (BUT not usually ‘sweep them aside’) when we DO connect with him there. In hindsight, maybe surprisingly, we will recognise just how much our relationship with God is strengthened during those times. Please have a read of “God during hard times“. And remember our Lord learnt through his own experiences (as Jesus) just what human pain and suffering is all about!
6. CONCLUSION
I completely understand some of that info written above may ‘seem’ unreachable when you are just starting out on the path of faith. Firstly, I did come to recognise that when we ‘get our heads around’ what God actually did for us through the life and death of Jesus, we are encouraged to open our hearts towards him. Although atheist websites fail to ‘get it’, I can say with confidence that ‘recorded history‘ actually supports the Bible’s account of events, rather than challenge them.
Secondly and importantly for myself, the relationship between God and me slowly but surely kindled deeper emotions as I deliberately relaxed into it. Again, if an analytical dude like me can do it then I believe anyone can! (Once again, if you wish to read about the ‘who’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ of this website please click here.)
Of course this stuff all just travels along at a pace relative to each of us individually. And again, don’t forget, this relationship is intended by God to be one that will NEVER end!
Also remember that extra sense of ‘purpose and contentment‘ that awaits each of us Christians in this life!
Obviously the Bible has an important role in our faith journey. Continue to the next article, “Our amazing Bible”.