Being Intentional in Our Relationship with God

Recently I was having a conversation with someone about spending time with God. After our conversation, I kept thinking about why being intentional about spending time with God is so difficult for so many of us. I think we would all admit to having seasons where our time with God felt more like a chore than an intimate connection with a living God. Maybe we still have our time with God but at times show up out of guilt or because we are afraid not to do so. Or we might not show up at all, feeling like it is just wasted time. I am sure there are more ways we can fail in this area, but these are a few I have noticed in my conversations with people.

If you see yourself in any of the descriptions above, my first question to you would be, “Do you know why it is important to be intentional in your time with God?” If not, that is a good place to begin. 

It is very difficult to know someone if you don’t spend time getting to know them. The same is true in our relationship with God. Spending time with God is the only way we can deepen our relationship with Him. It is also important to remember a deep relationship doesn’t happen immediately. It takes time. It means showing up and being intentional. It is easy to become discouraged when we walk through a season where we don’t feel so near to God as we may have at one point in time. I have found that in those seasons, it is so important that I continue to come to God, bringing my discouragement to Him, as well as owning any responsibility I may have in the distance I may feel. When I reflect on the seasons that God feels far away, I am reminded that He never was the one to remove Himself. I have either withheld myself from Him, or I have placed a higher value on something else over Him. 

In John 15:4-5 Jesus talks about the importance of abiding in Him. At the same time, He emphasizes the fact that it is a mutual relationship. We abide in Him and He abides in us. This shows a continual connection, but also shows that it is a choice. We choose to actively abide, it doesn’t happen on its own. As we abide in Him, we bear fruit. We cannot do good for the kingdom of God if we are not actively connected and abiding in Jesus.

You may be asking yourself, “So what does it look like to abide?” What comes to mind for me when I think of abiding is spending time in prayer and reading God’s Word. It is through reading God’s Word that we can learn more about who God is and what He had done for others. It is also the way we know how God wants His children to live their lives. 

For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. -Hebrews 4:12

I love this verse in Hebrews. It holds so much about why spending time in God’s words is so important. God’s Word has a way of exposing what is in our hearts and showing us what our spiritual condition is. The more time we spend in His Word the more aware we become of the areas in our lives that need to change. Especially when we come to the Word allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through the Word of God. 

The Word of God is living and powerful. It isn’t a collection of dusty stories that hold no relevance to our lives today. Instead, it is alive and able to bring life to anyone who will receive it with faith. The sharpness of it can reach us with precision, and the Holy Spirit enables the ministry of God’s Word to work deeply in our hearts.

Ultimately, this is why our relationship with God is so important. It is through spending time with God that our hearts are molded into a shape that looks more like His. He draws us closer to Him, and as we get closer, we will desire Him more. 

My prayer is that each one, no matter what your time with God looks like right now, would be encouraged to be intentional with it. Our relationship with God is the most important relationship you will ever invest in, but too often it is the one we think the least about. Take the time to invest in your relationship with God. Show up ready to pray and learn from His Word. I won’t promise that it will be easy, but I do promise that you won’t regret it!