This past weekend, my younger cousin updated his FB status from "single" to "in a relationship". His big sister's response: I'm waiting for you to arrange my meet and greet. That opened the floodgates for all the female family members.
After acquiring said girlfriend's FB credentials, a full-on femme investigation began. We don't know this girl, so if our family is claiming her, we need details. It is almost comical how our family is when it comes to dating. There is no double standard - everyone gets sized up!
This whole incident made me think about our relationship with God. What is our status? Are we single and therefore trying to navigate the deep and troubled waters of the world without God's help? Is it "complicated" and we don't know which way to go? Some days, we love and honor God. Other days, not so much! Or, can we honestly say that we are "in a relationship" with Him?
James 4:8 encourages us to draw nearer to God so He can draw nearer to us. Sounds like a first date at the movies to me! The girl leaning heavily in toward her date. The guy pretending to yawn and stretching his arm around her chair. After more attempts to draw near, the couple is cuddled and staring at the screen. This is the visual of the verse. Before we can establish a relationship with God, we have to date Him by drawing closer to who He is and who we are through Him.
Now many of us have been guilty of standing God up. We inboxed Him or sent Him a direct message asking to hook up. But, when the time comes, we are a no show, over and over again. We don't pray. We don't read our Word. We act up and leave Him waiting.
But the good news is that He's STILL waiting! He wants nothing more than a relationship with each and every one of us. In Revelations 3, God tells us that He is knocking on our door. He says that if we hear His voice and open that door, He is coming in! When He does, we will eat with Him and He with us. We have a standing dinner date with the Big Homie! All we have to do is let Him in!
Wouldn't it be awesome if we professed our relationship with God the same way we do with man? What if we updated and upgraded that status with public notice? How much different would our relationship with God be if we told the world? Just like a new couple smitten with love or a pair of newlyweds, we'd shut off from the world for a time. We would be wrapped up in the warmth and freshess of our new status. We would talk all day, everyday. We'd get butterflies in our stomach to be in His presence. We would blush and get goosebumps every time we heard His name.
And that would raise questions! People would want to know who this person is that has this effect on us. They would want to meet Him for themselves. Our relationship would encourage others to establish their own! Unlike two thirsty females brawling over some fake hip hop icon, we would delight in sharing our God because there's is actually enough of Him to go around!
Today, I pray that all of us open the door to our hearts and let God in. I pray we try our best to not stand Him up but to show up willing to be used by Him for the building of the Kingdom. I pray that when the going gets rough (because that happens in relationships) we remember His promise to NEVER leave us. He's not going anywhere. This is a permanent relationship, no matter what. I pray we put the world on notice that we are in a committed relationship with God. So, we may look, act, and feel differently...because that's what falling in love will do to ya! Be Blessed. XOXO
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