The 3 basic steps to living a healthy relationship with God at all times and under all circumstances.
Want to have a consistent walk in faith and a real relationship with the ultimate Saviour Jesus Christ? Here are three, rather obvious but important steps to take on your journey and relationship with God. Steps that will ensure fulfilment in Christ, and keep your identity strong and clear, always bringing you back to who God called you to be:
Step 1
Walk with confidence
God's love doesn’t need to be sought after or looked for. It is always there. And to fall back in love with Him only takes a moment of re-opening the door to the bridegroom (Song of Solomon 5). His love is always available to us. It’s not dependant on our worth or value because that would mean He is a God that waits for us to earn His love. But He is a father ready to receive His children with open arms. He knows what He put in you, what your weaknesses are, what He can do through you and where to put you here on earth.
Also, with that love, comes trust. Believe and trust that where He puts you will be good and worth it. Believe Jesus when He says He will carry all your burdens. He does not wait for you to fix all your problems then come before Him. Even in the middle of the mess, go give Him your feelings, disappointments and chaos.
Receive his love based on how much you need it, not on your worth. In order to love yourself, you need God's love first. Learn to receive the love of Christ based on what you know. Don’t keep expecting to learn the same lesson over and over again: where you want Him to surprise you in forgiveness each time. You already know this love is real and what it can do. This is where faith can grow. Use the faith Jesus gave you to believe and trust that His love is enough every single time. Of course this doesn't mean you can go and sin freely knowing there's no consequences, but rather knowing that guilt and self-condemnation don't rule your life.
It's amazing how Jesus can make you feel as light as a feather in a matter of minutes!
When you walk in the confidence of knowing how much Jesus loves you and how surely redemption and forgiveness can come, no darkness or worry will last very long. It's amazing how Jesus can make you feel as light as a feather in a matter of minutes! Who you are when you approach the throne of God with all your burdens and who I are afterwards are two totally different people. He makes you feel lighter in your body and stronger in spirit. Hope and light returns instantly. It's like drinking a tall glass of water all over again. Oh, how satisfying is the Lord and unchanging.
Step 2
Cross the Promise Bridge
It’s so simple to lose out on a blessing all because of pride. In this life, we have our own desires and expectations of how things should pan out. How we should find a partner, how we should find a job, start a family, experience a miracle, become rich, become famous, and so on. But even if the result is in the will of God, the way we get there may not always be according to our exact desire. That doesn't necessarily mean the Lord hasn't heard your prayers, but merely that the all--knowing God and father knows that a different route to that destination is better for you.
I experienced a moment of this sort this past week: the Lord showed me a blessing. I was so grateful when I realised what the Lord had prepared for me on the other side of this bridge. He said, here it is, it's all yours, just come and get it. I started walking toward it but suddenly, as I'm crossing this bridge from what my life currently is to what it's going to be when I receive this blessing, I stopped midway. Right above all the traffic and chaos below: the cars honking, winds blowing left and right. I stopped and waited. I said, Lord, let the blessing come and get me. I don't want to have to walk all the way on my own. I want to see that the blessing wants me too.
Cross that bridge with confidence in who God is to you and trust that His promise and blessing to you will inevitably better your life.
How ridiculous does that sound? The Lord knew that my desire had always been that I would stumble onto the blessing and be led into it by a person or situation. But the Lord didn't put that before me. Instead, He chose to show me the blessing first -- in order that I may truly appreciate where this is coming from -- then wait for me to cross over into the blessing wilfully.
So cross over the bridge the Lord has put before you with the faith that how you receive it is in the Lord's control. Whether it's a life-long promise that Jesus gave you that you need to continue believing and pray over, or whether it's an instant but life-altering blessing, do your part. Esther would've never met the king if she hadn't prepared herself first, and especially if she hadn't walked over into the king's chambers. That's where she made herself seen, and where the blessing was able to begin upon her life. Don't stop midway out of fear or insecurity. Cross that bridge with confidence in who God is to you and trust that His promise and blessing to you will inevitably better your life.
Step 3
Don't take the stairs
The Lord showed me a vision a few days ago concerning the church. I was carrying a ladder with me from home, used it to climb down it into the church, then climbed back up to surface level when I came out to go home. When the Lord revealed to me what this meant, I realised that it's a vital step in living a full life with Christ in a consistent and healthy identity as a child of God.
As brothers and sister in Christ, there can be a slight hierarchy in the church, unfortunately. All because we are flawed humans, and because we run into comparison a lot more often than we should. Judgement then follows and henceforth hierarchies are built. What does this mean?
We lower our own selves down and step down the ladder in order to make sure everyone feels comfortable.
We know that His love is perfect (1 John 4:18) for each and every one of us. Therefore in God's eyes we are all loved the same (1 Peter 1:17). He does not love me more than you or you more than your brother. He is a perfect Father. Therefore, if He loves us all the same, we should love one another the same. There can be times when we approach others and find ourself lowering our standards, our values, morals and even our beliefs, all because we don't want to make the other person feel inferior. We lower our own selves down and step down the ladder in order to make sure everyone feels comfortable.
But what happens to us when we do that? We are not being our real selves, we're not living the way the Lord calls us to. We are ultimately trying to fit into something that humanity expects us to be. If we are young, we are expected to not know very much, if we are older, we're expected to know everything and never have to learn anything new. But Jesus was not a man of expectation. He was the exact opposite: He surprised everyone, left them flabbergasted at His wisdom and understanding. He created a new army through His apostles, who everyone considered nothing but rejects and failures beforehand. The Lord loves to break expectation.
Don't be afraid to be what God made you.
Don't be afraid to be what God made you. Don't climb down the ladder in order to make your friend feel higher, but be the humble and supportive inspiration that will help him grow. And don't climb up the ladder either: when you don't know something or aren't aware of something that many may be, don't be afraid to admit it. When we are humble before Christ, He will lift us up (James 4:10). There's no need to climb up in pride in order to look greater, but be open to learning and ready to receive what you may not yet possess.
Remain stable in your identity in the Lord, whether it may be before your friends, your family, your church, or in the privacy of your own home. Your relationship with God remains in consistent stability at all times when it is born of truth and love.
These were the three basic steps to living and dealing with the day-to-day in Christ. It holds onto our identity as holy and according to the word, it helps us constantly remain in action and in the willingness to step into the purpose of God, as well as receive all He has for us. And most importantly, it reminds us that God's love never dies and is always available to us, no matter the situation or how long it has been since you've talked to Him. It only takes a moment for the whole atmosphere to change, for your burdens to be lifted and your soul to be renewed.