The dictionary defines ‘relationship’ as a state of being connected. When this connection is between human beings, it adds to the joy we experience in life. Like all connections, a relationship has to have glue, or it will not last. The glue is commitment. It is the thing that binds the relationship in unity and increases the love that people have for one another. Our Heavenly Father created relationships so that we would have a way to encounter and interact with each other lovingly. But most importantly, He has given us this type of connection so that we can have a relationship with Him. This was His plan all along. Ephesians 1:5(NLT) tells us, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
God’s Expectations
Glue is a substance that bonds things together. When it comes to a relationship, both parties are responsible for continually building the bonding power of the glue. They have to want to do this. One of the things that inspires and motivates people to keep building the bonding power of their relationships is meeting each other’s expectations. It is an essential building block.
When we perceive that something is missing, and we identify it as being fulfilled by a person that we like and with whom we share similar qualities, we would probably say that this individual is compatible with us. A connection is established because our expectations were met. If we take this up exponentially higher, a greater truth will be realized. God sees a quality in us that He likes. He likes it so much, in truth, that He desires a relationship—a connection—with us through His love. This isn’t just any ol’ relationship. Galatians 3:26(NLT) tells us, “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” God has given us relationships with each other so that we learn how to respond in our relationships with Him. He’s our Heavenly Father—our Abba Father.
Our relationship with God must be one of quality. It’s a relationship that must be based on His Holiness, because holiness meets His expectations. In and of ourselves, we are not holy. Because of what His Son, Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalves, God offers holiness to us as a gift. He has an expectation that we will accept this gift and learn to walk in it. We are dependent on God, and we can do nothing on our own. Everything that we do, every step we make, every breath we take is because of His unlimited, unconditional love and grace. He is the parent, and we are the kids. As such, we have expectations that He will take care of all our needs, and quite naturally, He has expectations that we will accept His spiritual gifts. He expects that we will take care of them by learning to use them according to the instructions of His Will and Word.
Know His Will
One of the major things that God requires in our relationship with Him is to know His Will. Knowing His Will allows us to become knowledgeable about who He is, and what He requires from us. It is impossible to establish a relationship with someone that you don’t know. A person that is mature enough to handle a quality connection understands that you have to spend time with someone to get to know who they are. So it should come as no surprise to us that in order to get to know God, we have to spend time learning about His character from His Word. He reveals Himself through His Word. His Word is His Will.
He Wants Us to Do Good Things!
A master creator that creates a masterpiece knows every facet of their creation. They know what it’s designed to do, and what is needed to maintain and keep the masterpiece functioning at its best. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) states, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Nothing about us is random, because nothing God does is random. He’s a God who does things with purpose. He’s our Master Creator and we’re His masterpiece. He created every person with a purpose according to His divine Will. He planned for our existence long before we came on the scene. He knows us intimately, through and through. There’s no detail about our lives that escapes His awareness. We are a part of His plan, and He wants us to do good things. This is His Will.
God’s Word is the blueprint to how a life should be lived well. Most importantly, God’s Word is the blueprint for how to come into relationship with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, God is holy. Holiness is a quality like no other. It is the highest of all that is sacred, righteous, pure, honest, loving, and good. As His children, God’s Will is that we understand and appreciate holiness, because it is the greatest aspect of His character, and He desires it to be the greatest aspect of our character as well. It is through His holiness that we are shaped and molded for the work He has called us to do.
Heavenly Father desires us to use our earth experience to grow in Christ, so that we learn more about who we are created to be and develop greater intimacy in our relationship with Him. We can’t accomplish this, and all the other good things He’s planned for us, without knowing His Word and Will. This is why He tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” This is obedience. It’s trusting God. If we seek His Will in everything that we do, we will follow His blueprint for having a relationship with Him that is holy. This will give us a rich and satisfying life that fulfills us and, most importantly, pleases Him.■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“The Blueprint to Your Relationship with God ” written by JMack. 4theChristianMan.Com© 2018. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.