Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that raises the blood pressure of fundamentalist legalists and progressive libertines.
We are living in difficult times. And the future is unknown.
It’s vital, therefore, that we nurture our relationship to Jesus Christ and press into knowing Him on a regular basis.
In Willard Harley’s marvelous book on marital relationships – His Needs, Her Needs – Harley observes that in order for couples to stay emotionally connected, they need to spend 15 hours a week together.
The point there is that for any relationship to flourish, there must be intentional time spent for communication and presence.
The same holds true in our relationship with Christ.
If we ignore time reading (or listening) to God’s written word – which reveals Jesus and is one of the primary ways we hear from Him and know His will — we’ll easily be influenced by other voices (whether they be the voice of our own self-seeking flesh, the unrelenting narrative of the world, or even the voice of the enemy).
We also cultivate our relationship with Jesus through prayer (= fellowship with Him).
If we neglect our spouse (or girlfriend/boyfriend), we can expect our relationship with them to eventually be on life support.
It’s no different with our relationship to Jesus.
If we neglect Him, we’ll eventually shrivel up spiritually. Our lives will be overtaken by “the cares of this life,” “the lust/desire for other things,” and “the deceitfulness of money” – all of which choke out God’s life (Mark 4:19).
I’m not only referring to an ongoing conversation with the Lord throughout the day, but to specific times set apart to talk to Him, listen, and be in His presence.
This can even be done while walking or driving.
As a supplement to my landmark book, INSURGENCE: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, I wrote a series of articles that were originally included in the book as chapters.
However, the publisher said the book was too long to include them. So they all appear on a special website that’s mentioned throughout the book.
One of those chapters is called “AWARE OF HIS PRESENCE,” which you can read HERE.
My challenge for you this week is three-fold:
- Make a fresh commitment to re-engage your relationship to Christ and deepen it.
- Carve out a time when you can read or listen to God’s Word throughout the week.
- Schedule a time when you can talk to the Lord and give Him your undivided attention during the week.
In other words, be intentional about feeding your relationship with Jesus.
If you have a spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend or roommate, and they are a believer, consider including them in your time with the Lord.
Don’t let your relationship with Him slip.
See you next Thursday,
fv
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