For God so loved the world...

With Easter coming up next week I decided to make this post about my faith because I often mention God in my post, but have never actually talked about my relationship with God. One of my favorite verses when I was younger was Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..." more so I fell in love with the phrase that came out when I was at a church camp - "If you ain't afraid to represent, holla 116!" If we can't talk about Christ to draw other people near, then how can we consider ourselves Christians?

There are often times that I hear people profess that they don't like attending church because it's full of 'nothing but hypocrites'. Yes, that's true but think about it... Where do sick people go to get better? A hospital, right? So for someone to say, 'I don't want to go to a hospital because it's nothing but sick people there' would be an preposterous comment to make. So think about it, where else would a hypocrite go to be healed? Would they not need to flee to a church to be made whole again? I understand that there are people who attend church week after week, year after year, but don't seem to change. However, who are we to judge them? In the eyes of God all sin is equal, therefore who am I to point the finger at anyone and say that they are less holier than thou? We have to move from beyond this picture perfect image of what Christianity is supposed to look like and realize what it really is.

Growing up I always thought that I had to be perfect in order for God to accept me, but as I grow older I know that that's not the case. In Corinthians 15:31 Paul professes that he dies daily, meaning that he has to die daily to his self, his flesh, and desires that are not of Christ. So if someone like Paul has to lay down his flesh daily every day, why would I think it would be any easier for me? However, it's not about being perfect and getting it right every day - it's about the relationship you build along the way with Christ Jesus.

Being in a relationship you find out things about yourself and your partner that you might not have discovered had you not embarked on the journey together in the first place. Jesus doesn't want us to come to Him with it all together, He just wants us to come unto Him with an open heart.

The first and most important step in starting this relationship with Jesus - we must first accept and believe that He is the son of God. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

So what comes after that? You begin to build that relationship with Him. In order for any relationship to work you have to spend time with that person. How do we spend time with God? Through prayer, fasting, and reading His word:

Prayer is the easiest way to talk to God. When I was younger I used to recite prayers and thought that I was talking to God as long as I said my grace before I ate and my prayer before I went to sleep, but that's not the case. Now that I am older I know that prayer is simply having a conversation with God. It doesn't have to be something fabricated and dolled up - just needs to be authentic and real. Tell Him the desires of your heart, but don't forget to thank Him for everything that He does and has done for you. Don't go to God like He's a genie there to grant your wishes, go to him like He's your best friend. Talk to Him about everything and see how you begin to develop that close and intimate relationship with Him.

Reading His word. It's easy to scroll down our timelines and learn about all the gossip and drama going on throughout our various social media accounts, but somehow it seems like we don't have time when it comes to reading the Bible. We must set aside time to learn more about Jesus. Because how can we know Jesus if we don't know His word? We can't. God reveals Himself in a person, and God reveals that person in His Word. John 1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Fasting. This year I've completed more fast in this short 4 months, than I have my entire life. Fasting builds your relationship with God more because you are consciously denying something that your flesh wants. While fasting you are actively practicing the two things mentioned before: prayer and reading. In order to stay strong during a fast you have to constantly talk to God and ask Him for strength because the flesh is weak. However, I've noticed that after praying I often am directed to a scripture that will help me get through whatever hurdle I'm trying to overcome.

I'm not saying that I'm perfect because I have a relationship with God. I'm saying that I don't have to be perfect in order to have a relationship with Him. With Easter coming up next week, I encourage you to reflect over your relationship. Are you spending enough time with Him? If you were in a relationship with a significant other - would the time that you are spending with God be enough to uphold a relationship with a physical person?

God knows our downfalls and what sin we struggle with. He knows our heart and accepts us the way we are. The question is, is do we know Him?