“The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?”
QUESTION 1: Balance in our relationship with God is important so that we don’t ‘humanize’ God to the point that we infer the failures of humans on God. How often do you think of God as more of a concept rather than a real person? Which is more of a struggle for you: intimacy with God or reverence for God?
QUESTION 2: We all have ‘baggage’ that we tote around with us and toss into our various relationships. What kind of baggage do you bring to your relationship with God?
QUESTION 3: Does your relationship with God resemble a ‘love’ relationship? Why or why not?
CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to show you this week any baggage that you pack up and bring into your relationship with Him.
5 comments:
Leah, This is really something to pray about.What a great post!Blessings, Faye
Actually I'm going to summarize all 3 questions quickly, but for me, this all changed for me two years ago when I did the study on Believing God.
He moved from some where out there, to a very real God that I long for intamcy with Him and reverence, because simply, HE IS GOD and I am not.
Lovingly,
Yolanda
PS: Not saying I have it pefected, but that I'm so much more aware and that is an on-going process for me in my current.
Question 1: I always think of God as a real person. I KNOW He's more than just a concept. I may not always worship Him as I should, but I never think of Him as just a concept. I think for me, I have more of a struggle with intimacy with God. I am learning that we can have an intimate relationship with Him - more like a "love" relationship. In fact, I now know that that is what He wants! I can remember when I first fell in love with Darryl - my husband - he was all I thought about. I would do anything to be with him. I couldn't wait to see him! And when we were together before we were married, the time went quickly and I was already looking forward to the next time I would be with him. I think that like in our human relationships, we grow comfortable in our relationship with God and it's not as exciting as it was in the beginning, many times. I WANT TO DEVELOP A MORE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!!!
Question 2: I hate baggage! I guess we all have some, though. The baggage I bring into my relationship with God is the horrendous sins I commited in my late twenties and early thirties. I have repented of those sins, but they still haunt me. I KNOW God has forgiven me and won't bring them up to me again, but they are still in my mind and are hard for me to forget. "If I could turn back time..." God help me to leave that baggage where it should be - in the past - and not let it hinder me now!!! Amen!!!!!
Question 3: I'm sorry to say, that many times my relationship with God doesn't resemble a "love" relationship. Sometimes it does, but many times it doesn't. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE talking to God in my quiet time in the morning while the house is quiet. I LOVE studying His Word and discussing it with others. But I don't think I look at it like a 'love' relationship. BUT I WANT TO!!!! Please pray that God will give all of us a desire for Him like never before - may we be excited to be with Him and look forward to our next encouter with Him! May He cause us to talk about Him to others and be excited that He is in our lives!
Janice
Question 1: Many years ago I thought of God more as a concept than as a person. It almost seems sacreligious to think of God in human terms because we are so fallen and sinful. Now I try to balance my concept of him between the utterly holy and my Abba. For me reverence is more difficult because I had such a close relationship with my earthly Daddy, I tend to have that same type relationship with my heavenly Father and sometimes I fear I tread on His holiness with my familiarity.
Question 2: Baggage...good grief..if the Lord charged a baggage fee like the airlines do, I'd be in a heap of trouble. Baggage--control is a huge piece of baggage, so is anorexia, Type A personality, expectations of others that are not flexible.
Question 3: I hope that it does. I feel like it does. Romans 12: 1-2 has become very much theme verses over the past year for me and in a love relationship you give your all to the person you love. That is so very much what I am seeking to do. I'm sure I could do a whole lot better on my end of the relationship but this book has really opened my eyes.
Leah
1. Mine is a self discipline problem. I don't think that I have a airy concept of God, rather I slip too often into putting our relationship on the back burner because He doesn't demand my attention. I have many situations of "importance" and relationships that are demanding (to probably an unhealthy extent) that it's easy to neglect my relationship with a God who won't push Himself up front. Meanwhile, I have the real awareness that all other relationships would be better and put more properly into perspective if I'd focus on Christ first. I truly think if Satan can keep us busy and wrapped up in ourselves, he can obliterate our effectiveness and intimacy with God.
2. Pride is the greatest source of baggage I drag. I think that I believe "my story" is such a big deal, that I run amok on my rabbit trail to nowhere and often miss the highway God leads me to follow Him on. I got a Garmin navigator for my birthday and it reminds me of my relationship with God sometimes. It may show me the clear path to get from A to B but often times I pridefully think I know a better route(quicker, more user friendly, whatever...looks better to me). Then God spends our relationship saying "RECALCULATING." to get me back to the path He has clearly marked for me.
3. I cringe to wonder what God would say to this. He probably would say that we have more of a parent/child love relationship. I am trying out my toddler like independence and He is reigning me back in when I get too close to the deep end of the pool. Thank goodness He loves me unconditionally and never gives up on me because I'm sure I exhaust Him. I know He is thankful when I'm sleeping.
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