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Your Most Important Relationship!

by Angela Willingham  
5/27/2009 / Christian Living


In John 3:16, the bible says, 16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. What does that really mean? What kind of love is that? The Life Application bible says that in this verse God sets the standard for true love, love that is not selfish or self-centered, the basis for all true or real love relationships. When you really love someone you are willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrifice.

God loved us so much that He sent His only son to die in our place. He who was without sin took our place, the place of those of us that often sin freely. He knew everything about us and chose to love us anyway. He knew every mistake we would make, every wrong thought we would have and He chose to love us anyway, to sacrifice for us anyway. We think we love others and that we give and yet we struggle with taking money out of our pockets for the homeless or someone we know is in need, because we are concerned about what they are going to do with the money. He made a sacrifice knowing that we would sin, be rebellious, do something or think something wrong. That kind of love is so unbelievable, but real. It does not require us to work to receive it. We didn't have to be perfect for Him to sacrifice His life, it was done, in spite of us.

If you have not already accepted Jesus Christ then you may not have any idea what I am talking about. This relationship is important. It is the greatest relationship of all. Once you know and accept God's love for you as expressed in John 3:16, it will help you with all of your other relationships. We believe if you get your vertical relationship right your horizontal relationships will come in alignment. What do I mean by that? If you accept the love that God has for you and recognize that His love is unconditional, recognize that He died for your sins in advance, recognize He knew what you were going to do and did it any way. When you realize the magnitude of that type of love it makes it a little easier for you to forgive and love others. You know the stuff you did and do, but you are forgiven and loved. If He can love us like that we can love others, like our children, friends, family members and co-workers.

If you have not already developed this life changing relationship go to our website and do it today. If you have accepted the relationship we want to encourage you to remember that it is a relationship. Don't forget that relationships take time and they take sacrifice. If you want this relationship to grow it will take more than weekly church attendance. For a long time we thought a religious experience on Sunday morning was all it took, however, we know better. God wants relationship. It will require you to spend some time with Him, studying the Word, Praying, Worshipping and Listening to Him. A relationship is never one sided or it will be unhealthy, so remember not to look at Him as someone who is just there to give you what you want. He is not a glorified Santa Claus or the just the deliverer of little blessings for you. He wants to be an active participant in your life. Spending time with you and having you spend time with Him. Talking to you and having you talk to Him. Work on building your relationship with God through Jesus Christ daily. Know that like any friend He may say things that you do not like, but listen anyway and heed what He tells you. The bible says that obedience is better than sacrifice. John 15:13-17 says, 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other. When He talks to us in our time of prayer and meditation, when we read the Word, He is confiding and sharing the Father's heart. Each of us has been chosen by God, it is up to us to accept that fact and walk in it.

The bible is clear that God wants a relationship with us. He wants it so much that He sent His only son to be a bridge between sinful man, that's Him and us. The choice of how or when we will respond is completely up to us, but provision has been made through the blood of Jesus Christ and God does want to call us His friends. He loves us all. There is nothing that you have done that has moved you to a place where He cannot forgive and love you. Your life of drugs, alcoholism, adultery, sexual promiscuity, prostitution, gossip, lying or whatever your sin happens to be is not so great that God cannot forgive you and put you on the right path, but the choice to believe and accept that love is up to you. For years we have told people to work out physically. Today we want to encourage you to work out your salvation, workout your relationship with God. If there is anything hindering your relationship, repent (turn away from whatever it is) pray and ask the Father to forgive you and to take away the desire for whatever it is. He can and He will if you diligently seek Him, but you have to really desire it and be willing to do what it takes to avoid it.

Work on building your most important relationship today so that God can work with you as the center of every other relationship that you have.
Scripture:
John 3:16:
16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Angela Willingham, CEO New Beginnings Holistic Fitness Ministries, Inc.
www.mynewtemple.org
Copyright New Beginnings Holistic Fitness Ministries, Inc.

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