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| the pride of man's labor in the city that never sleeps |
As a Christian, it is not merely enough for me to believe in God – the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit - not just enough to be a good husband, a good father, a hardworking good citizen, enjoying the fruits of my labor; all worthwhile goals, but Christ would say I was a fool if I was not to have a rich relationship with God. Not just "A" relationship, but a "RICH" relationship. What would constitute a rich relationship with God? How does one develop a rich relationship with God? A rich relationship between two persons, at a minimum, I would think is one that has a deep and strong bond between the two. A relationship based on trust, love and an intimate knowledge of the other.
To answer the first question, Christ taught us that his brothers and sisters (his family) are those who listen to God and obey his commands (Matthew 12:46-50). In Luke, we hear him answer a woman who called out to him from the crowd as he spoke, “God bless your mother – the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!” And his answer to her was, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:27-28). Joshua, who was called to lead the Israelites following the death of Moses, was commanded by God to, “…Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.” (Joshua 1:7-8)
In answer to the second question, “How does one develop a
rich relationship with God?” Christ himself is the example for developing a
rich relationship with Father God as we see in the gospels of the New Testament.
Not only did he know the word of God, he took time regularly to separate
himself from the crowd and his disciples so that he may spend time in prayer to
Father God by himself. Tell God his heart’s desires, his needs, his fears, his doubts
and in return understand God’s plans for him. Meditating (reading, studying, praying and
thinking on what you have read) on the word of God day and night, Joshua, who
was tasked to lead the nation of Israel, would understand God’s will for him
and his people and lead them in obedience to God’s plan for them. God does not want us to
forget any details of his commands and thus err in our obedience to him.
Being successful in the secular world and enjoying the wealth ensuing from that success is not a sin. It is God who blesses us.
It is a sin when the blessings take more importance in our heart and mind over
the one who blessed us. God wants us to
make his kingdom the priority of our life and with that he promised to meet all
our needs from day to day. (Luke
12:31). He wants us to have a rich
relationship with him developed through meditating on his word and a personal
prayer habit so that our understanding of who he is continues to grow and
mature, and when blessings increase in our life, we may not forget our God who
blessed us. Christ teaches us that “Where ever your treasure is, there your
heart and thoughts will also be.” (Luke 12:34). This was elaborated through his
parable of the “Rich Young Man,” at the conclusion of which he stated that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:16-26)May God's word be a lamp unto our feet lighting our path ahead of us! God bless you!!
Charles Stanley on Prayer
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