This morning I have been reflecting on what a relationship with Jesus Christ truly means. It means much more than having someone to pray to when I am going through a rough patch in my life. It means coming to know Him as a trusted, loyal friend. He should be so familiar to me that His name is the first name I cry out in the midst of my joy as well as my pain. A song of thanksgiving should be in every breath I take, for He is the one who supplies every breath that I take.
Sadly, in my life, however...this is not always the case. Self gets in the way. When things are going great, it can be easy to get in a self-congratulatory mode. The pride that can come from a job well done can also become a wedge between myself and my Heavenly Father. How easy it is to forget that I can accomplish nothing without Him who made me. Any obstacle I have overcome has only been overcome because of the deep well of strength and hope that He provides. It is never accomplished on my own. Every accomplishment I have made has been made only because of the tools He has supplied me with.
Jesus Christ desires the most intimate of relationships with me. It can be so hard, however...to trust. After all, this world is not always a very trustworthy place. When a person has been betrayed and abused on various levels, it is easy to forget what trust is. Even when it is recognized, it is so hard to tap into that ability to trust because your heart is broken into so many pieces. You try to rely on self because self has never let you down.....
and that is perhaps the biggest betrayal of all. Self will always let you down because when you totally rely on self, you are pushing Jesus Christ away. In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.:." Think about that. What power there is in those words. In essence, they mean, I am everything...I am all that truly matters.
When we rely on self instead of our Heavenly Father, we cheat ourselves of the rich and fruitful life that He has promised. We fall into dark places and don't know how to climb out. We search for love and happiness in places that only provide a temporary fix. We never get to truly know how beautiful and precious an intimate walk with Jesus can be.
The good news is that Jesus never gives up on us. He is always with us, even in our darkest moments. We just have to learn how to find Him. It all begins by reaching far beyond ourselves. He is there...standing in the Light.
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