Five Characteristics of a Relationship with God.
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord , ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord , ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord , ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’
JEREMIAH 29:11-14 NASB
God had to let go of His son. Jesus moved from Heaven to earth. The outcome was worth the expense ( opportunity cost of staying with His father).
1) Relationship: Christ's relationship with His Father was the foundation of His identify. Relationship requires trust, surrender and submission, and commitment (obedience).
2) Identity: Christ's identity established His value. One must know his/her identity. Is it culture, community, employment, race, religion, or God's unconditional love?
3) Value: Christ's value established His purpose. One must understand his/her value was established with the cost of Christ's sacrificial love, death on the cross. Christ's went to where He was sent regardless of the cost. Christ only did as His Father instructed. Why? Christ was committed to only doing His father's will. That took a deep, intimate, trusting relationship.
4) Purpose: One must know what he/she is to do and where he/she is to do it and with whom? Christ went to where His father prepared a place for Him. What significant thing is he/she to do? If I'm to do something, I should have a reason.
5) Responsibility: Christ had a responsibility. Christ had to fulfill the will of His Father in order to obtain His objectives, not His own will (Luke 22:42). One can never have a sense of accomplishment without understanding the purpose of his/her responsibility. One must know that by putting God first in his/her life and following God with all his/her heart, mind, and body, that God honors His obedient followers? John 13:17
Relationship with God the Father is the key to success. Failure is a prerequisite for success. If one recognizes his/her failure will find success if he/she truly understands the costs...even if the cost starts with self. Lay down his/her fear and trust, obey God.
God never misleads, but we can by following our own understanding as opposed to relying on God's. Relationship with Gid opens the door to surrender and submission to His will and not my own.
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