Great Expectations - Renewing the Relationship
I remember how I felt when I first started following Jesus as Lord and Savior. Perhaps you had a similar experience?
I wanted to tell everyone I knew about my God, King and Friend. I wanted to purge my life of anything that would interfere with this wonderful new relationship. I yearned for that next, new revelation of His love.
But there have been times since then when my Passion has dropped below other passions. I've heard others say with a defeatist attitude that it's like marriage, where the feeling dies and you just have to get used to it, moving on to a "more mature" relationship.
Well, as scripture points out, my relationship with the Lord is very much like a marriage relationship. I can say that in over 15 years of marriage, my relationship has not always been "passionate", but to me, the ebbing of passion is a warning signal: either something is wrong in me (needing correction) or something is wrong in the relationship (again requiring attention).
Why are we so willing to settle for second best? (or worse?)
In my marriage, as with all my relationships, I can sense when something is not right... it's an emotional indicator light that God has put on my emotional dashboard.
My God made me in His Image, and scripture tells me that God also has feelings. Unlike God, I certainly can't trust my imperfect feelings any more than I can trust my limited intellect. But I can turn to Him when things don't "feel right". And like all of my relationships, I can trust that my Passion for Him will grow as I'm intentional in the time spent with Him.
What a great Friend and God we have, Who doesn't forsake us when we draw away... but rather, lovingly draws us back into the fiery passion that He has for us. Whether we're on the mountain-top or in the valley, we can rejoice in His Presence with a great expectation that He loves us and is in complete control of the outcome!
Blessings of Peace, Hope and Joy!
I wanted to tell everyone I knew about my God, King and Friend. I wanted to purge my life of anything that would interfere with this wonderful new relationship. I yearned for that next, new revelation of His love.
But there have been times since then when my Passion has dropped below other passions. I've heard others say with a defeatist attitude that it's like marriage, where the feeling dies and you just have to get used to it, moving on to a "more mature" relationship.
Well, as scripture points out, my relationship with the Lord is very much like a marriage relationship. I can say that in over 15 years of marriage, my relationship has not always been "passionate", but to me, the ebbing of passion is a warning signal: either something is wrong in me (needing correction) or something is wrong in the relationship (again requiring attention).
Why are we so willing to settle for second best? (or worse?)
In my marriage, as with all my relationships, I can sense when something is not right... it's an emotional indicator light that God has put on my emotional dashboard.
My God made me in His Image, and scripture tells me that God also has feelings. Unlike God, I certainly can't trust my imperfect feelings any more than I can trust my limited intellect. But I can turn to Him when things don't "feel right". And like all of my relationships, I can trust that my Passion for Him will grow as I'm intentional in the time spent with Him.
What a great Friend and God we have, Who doesn't forsake us when we draw away... but rather, lovingly draws us back into the fiery passion that He has for us. Whether we're on the mountain-top or in the valley, we can rejoice in His Presence with a great expectation that He loves us and is in complete control of the outcome!
Blessings of Peace, Hope and Joy!
