Do you ever question yourself about your relationship with God? Do you think you are becoming the person that God expects you to be? Or are you feeling that you are not progressing with your spiritual journey? I have asked myself all of the above questions at one time or another. One day I asked myself, am I trying with all my heart or am I just going through the motions that would please God. What was holding me back? Was it my reluctance to let go of the past and move on, or am I dragging my feet because I do not feel worthy to meet God’s requirements to be a good Christian. It is time for me to get serious about my relationship with God.
For years I have gone to various Bible studies, searching for ways to become a woman of God. The latest Bible study has made me look at where I am and where I want to be. I needed to know where I was in Christ and Christ in me. I was a part-time Christian. I took my relationship with God for granted. I never thought about what God wanted from me. I needed to re-evaluate my Spiritual life. I want to open my heart to God and His Presence in my life. I may not spend the time I want with God but I know that I can talk to Him any time. I am going to fulfill that need I have been searching for.. to have God’s Presence in my life. In the past I was reading scripture but not applying His word to my everyday life. God’s words are guidelines for each day. I cannot pick and choose His words for my situation because that would be controlling what I think I want to do. God is so patient. He is still waiting for me to stop being so busy so I can spend time reading and talking to Him.
I had to stop trying to figure out where God belonged in my life. In my head so I can understand His words or in my heart so I can live the way He would want me to. I have this image of God in His Glory by my side, holding on to my hand so I won’t fall, as we go down the road. I do experience His blessings every day. I still need to make some changes before I can be right with God.
I made a list of changes I needed to address before I could continue on my journey. I would like to share them with you: One is about forgiveness. It was necessary for me to let go of past hurts and feelings.God is very clear that forgiveness is necessary for living a Godly life. In order for me to pursue my journey, I really had to make an effort to let go of those feelings that have kept me in bondage. I had to let go of that stranglehold on my life. It was keeping me from moving in God’s direction. I found out that forgiveness brings peace of mind. You cannot hate others and love God at the same time. Jesus showed us that he forgave all those who treated him with cruelty. God says I have to forgive those who have hurt me so I can move forward and devote myself to becoming a good Christian.
Two is about attitudes. It was time to let go of pity parties, pre-occupations, giving up, fear, despair, worry and frustrations. I do not need any of this in my life but guess what, one or the other would show up to cause chaos. I am only human and I make mistakes daily. My thoughts become my actions. I allow negative thoughts to take over some time and I do not like it. So in order to change direction, I start talking to the Lord about what is going on and I need His guidance in this situation. I find that if I stop and take a deep breath and focus on the Lord, the problem can be taken care of in a calm manner.
Three is about being competitive with others. I plead guilty when comparing my achievements with others. It is boasting about all your wonderful abilities. Most of us are guilty of this action. We believe our good deeds will be approved by the Lord. Believe me, what I did or do in my life is a small trifle to what God does every day. It is wrong for us to assume we can do wondrous things. God is sovereign and Holy. God created the world and every thing on earth. He is in control of the universe. There is no way we can ever surpass His creations. Anything we accomplish we should glorify God, for without Him it would be impossible.
The fourth is about treatment of others. Mistreatment of others, whether in words or physical abuse, is not an option when dealing with your family or others. Mistreatment covers a lot of territory. It is hard to accept any form of mistreatment as a part of your life. Jesus suffered from cruel and inhuman treatment and He accepted it with forgiveness and grace. It was hard for me to show forgiveness when I was treated badly. Resentment and revenge are two of the feelings that are foremost in your reactions. God does not want any hostile thoughts to clutter up my journey. Besides, life is short and I don’t need this kind of treatment.
The fifth item I needed to work on was trust issues. Trusting people or things is not everlasting. Things and people come and go in our life but God will stay with you. In the past I have trusted someone’s word only to find out that it was untrustworthy. I still find it hard to trust people. In today’s world trust is hard to come by. To trust things doesn’t work, because things don’t last. They come and go according to one’s whims. Things and people are transitory, in and out of your life. You can always trust God. You can always depend on God. God never goes back on His words and is always there for me waiting to trust and depend on Him. God will never leave me. His love for me is everlasting.
The sixth reason has to do with obedience. I had to stop thinking I could ask Jesus for His help then decide that I could do it myself. Just couldn’t wait for results. It’s like driving down the middle of the road, I can change my directions any time I feel like it. Making a U-turn is not a good idea. Changing directions in most cases is not safe. It is taking me away from the Lord. In order for me to be connected and committed to the Lord, I have to stop taking detours and going on my own way. In other words, focus on the Lord and go in the direction he wants me to.
The seventh is about dependence on the Lord. With the Lord I can endure. God wants me to be brave enough to surrender all my troubles and trials to Him. Dependence on God helps you to face the unknown. Fear has a way of keeping you weak. Only God can conquer these fears for me. I depend on God each day to show me the way to His light.
To get God’s attention is to talk to Him. Prayers are always welcome. God is ready to listen to anything you have to say. He also likes our prayers to be specific and consistent. If you feel your prayers haven’t been answered, don’t give up. God in His time answers all prayers. I love the idea that I can talk to God any time and anywhere, with the Holy Spirit helping and interceding on my behalf.
As I continue on my journey, I have so much to look forward to. God has given me the Bible with His words of wisdom. God has given the world his son, Jesus, who died on the cross for my sins. God gives us the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. God gives love, peace, and hope to all who seeks His Presence in their life. God wants to participate in my life. He wants me to trust and depend on Him unconditionally. What a wonderful feeling to know that God is my refuge in times of distress; He is my salvation, saving me from the world; and my Savior, who is there for me forever. He is eternal.
Shirley Sadocchi