One day (awhile back) my friend and I were checking out the new radio station that was about to go on the air for the first time in our little town of Bay Springs. I'm talking big time stuff. As a matter of fact, I remember the song "Mr. Big Stuff" was very popular during that time. (The song has absolutely nothing to do with this post other than to date this event.) My friend and I were so excited that our little town was about to have a real live radio station!
We were involved in a tour of the station when this really, really good-looking girl walked through with her eyes on the radio log she had just typed. She never looked up...but I couldn't stop looking at her. She was extremely beautiful! She never even knew I was alive, much less in the room. I determined I would ask her out. But I had to meet her first. I eventually met this Connie Hogan girl and asked her out.
To meet Connie was to begin a relationship with her. Spending time with Connie, talking, sharing, listening, hanging out together, all played a part in building a relationship with each other. Our relationship led us into marriage, and a few years later a relationship with Jesus. Over 41 years later we're still together! We celebrated 39 years of marriage just this past February. I know Connie better than any other human on the planet. Why? Because we have a deep relationship with one another.
Relationships thrive on mutual communication. Communication is not complete without listening. Just thought I'd throw that in! We must be transceivers. A transceiver is a combination transmitter and receiver. It is capable of transmitting, and equally as important...receiving (listening). Many relationships suffer due to mutual exercise of the transmitter, and not the receiver! Communication is a decision. It just doesn't happen.
Relationships also thrive on presence. Without presence...the relationship will suffer and weaken, or just never grow strong. Absence cannot always be avoided, but too much absence will weaken a relationship...especially between husband and wife. Absence cannot be substituted. The more you hang out and communicate, the stronger the relationship will grow.
To know Jesus these days is the greatest thing that can happen to ANYONE. To know Jesus is to have a relationship with Him. Simply meeting Him does not put you into a deep relationship with Him. An introduction can be the beginning of a relationship, however the relationship must be established and built upon. The more you know Jesus, the more you discover about Him. The more you discover about Him, the deeper the relationship. And the deeper the relationship, the stronger it is. Our ability to worship Jesus is directly proportional to the depth of our relationship with Him.
Remember, relationships are not established on introductions. Thus your relationship with Jesus is not established on an introduction. It is established on commitment that consists of communication, presence, and time. Join with me right now in making a commitment to draw closer to Jesus. Seek Him and everything about Him. You will not be disappointed!
The Love Dare - eBook By Stephen Kendrick & Alex Kendrick / B & H Publishing Group |
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