THE ESSENCE OF RELATIONSHIP
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| Today in "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young |
Yesterday Bill and I were invited for
tea at a friend's house. Their visiting guests made for interesting and lively
conversation while catching up on church life in their home town where our
hosts had once lived. They reminisced over their common past and observed the
many changes that decades of service had brought to the congregations of their
church. Sadly they also lamented the transformations that have not taken place
in their community from various declines.
"What do you think we need to do
to save our church?"
Most of the comments were about what
was wrong and our attempts to help direct their focus on what was right about
their community seemed to land in a good place.
"Do you have Jesus in common? Then
focus on your love for Him. Serve Him and everything else will fall into place."
On the way home we wondered if we had
accomplished any objective that our hosts might have had in our invitation for
the afternoon visit. They all seemed eager to hear about our romance and the
story of our "honeymoon life" entertained much
laughter, perhaps even disbelief, as we professed our continued "wooing" for
one another.
Then it occurred to me, that is
the answer for the dying church. Even ours or yours. Isn't
it as true for Jesus, our Bridegroom, Who is romancing the Church, His Bride? He
is continually wooing us, inviting us into a relationship. God
initiates, we respond. Even our delay or lack of response is a
response. We lose interest, desire and focus. Soon we lack motivation for
keeping passion for one another alive. Ritual, habitual, lackadaisical and
complacent, superficial and pretentious need not be words to describe your
church or home life. A maturing relationship is a mutual responsibility
that is sustained and ongoing. It takes two.
Our devotion time this morning was rich
with words that spoke our Love language. As is Bill's custom, he always gives
me his "take away" from what we have read. Today's
word is "WITH."
"Rest with Me a
while. You have journeyed up a steep, rugged path in recent days.....I am with you,
watching over you wherever you go." The essence of
relationship is contained in the word "with."
So beloved, just as Bill and I refresh
our passions for a honeymoon life, God romances the Church by inviting those
who believe to a "revival that never ends,” but our times
of refreshment and revival won't come without times of repentance.
"He is noticing us." He is singing and dancing over us! He is blessing us even when we
don't or won't respond. His caress is the Romance of Heaven with the
people of Earth that none can compare. Jesus is ALIVE... and like
never before, He longs for relationship and communion with us.
You are the
essence of relationship.
(c) Copyright 2014
