By Marianna Taylor, Involvement Minister for Leclaire Christian Church
What kind of an article should this be? I asked myself. I'd been asked to write this article about our "romance" with Jesus. I'm a 47-year-old single woman. I've never been married and I can't remember the last time that I actually went on a date. What do I know about romance? To be quite honest, I've really been wrestling with this one, Ladies. I've scanned through several books by some of my favorite Christian authors, fervently hoping for a word of inspiration, an idea, that "a-ha!" moment. Finally, it hit me. (Sometimes, it takes a while.) This wasn't an article I could study for. It needed to be more personal than that; and this realization gave me a serious case of writer's block. Making myself vulnerable in print? Why on earth had I agreed to do this? What was I thinking?
So I procrastinated, prayed, hemmed, hawed, prayed, squirmed, dragged my feet and prayed some more. What follows, are some thoughts that have come to me in the wee hours when I wasn't sleeping. When I was thinking about you, the readers of Inspire Magazine, and wondering what I could possibly share with you that would help make a difference in your walk with the Lord. How could I help to encourage you toward a closer, more intimate relationship with Christ?
You see, Ladies, there lies deep within each of our hearts a profound longing. This yearning drives us – it shapes much of who we are and who we are to become. We often try to satisfy this hunger with too much other "stuff" – the love of family and friends, the comfort of food, the acquisition of material possessions, the rewards of meaningful work and the relentless pursuit of self-improvement. But do these things bring us peace or contentment? No! Because we have in our souls, wired into our spiritual DNA, a powerful need for intimacy - for a relationship with Him. God created us for this very purpose.
So how about it, Gals? Are you experiencing a living, growing, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you spending quality time with Him on a regular basis? Here are a few important principles I've learned about deepening our relationship with Christ, to help keep that "romance" alive:
Be yourself. Tell Him everything. He shares Himself with you with complete openness and honesty. Do the same with Him and for Him. He loves you unconditionally, you know. He already gave His life for you. What more proof do you need?
Be spontaneous, flexible, and creative. Admittedly, we humans are creatures of habit. When do you spend time with Him? Where? How do you spend that time? When was the last time you took an entire day, or an evening, just to spend time with Christ?
When you're praying, be specific. Make it brief and get to the point. (Jesus' own suggestions – in Matthew 6:5-8.) "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (NIV)
Pray with all your heart. Make your time with Christ a vital part of your day. Give it all you've got! Need some encouragement? Romans 12:12: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Or Colossians 4:2, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." (NIV) Pray continually, letting it overflow into every part of your life. Talk to the Lord while you're stuck in traffic, doing laundry, in the shower, waiting in the checkout line, etc. He wants to hear from you!
Minimize distractions. Are you spending your time with Him while the television is on in the background? Frankly, I don't care how many great ideas you can get from HGTV, it's still distracting. How about your cell phone? This is one time during your day when multi-tasking is not a good thing. Keep a prayer journal. Just jot down a few things – it doesn't have to be a cumbersome task. Go on a retreat!
One of my favorite greeting cards is a design by Mary Englebreit. The little girl on the front has a look of total exasperation on her face. It reads "Life is just so daily." You see, that's the real secret of an intimate relationship with our Savior – it's just so daily. He's not someone we can just take with us on Sunday mornings. He's not content just to spend time with us during Bible study. When we become Christians, we "put on Christ." He wants to dwell in our hearts, to make our hearts His home - to be with us 24/7.
That's what it takes for this "romance" to work.
Are you willing to do "whatever it takes" to experience this level of intimacy with Jesus? I pray that you are. And I pray Ephesians 3:14-21 for you, too: "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (NIV)
Marianna Taylor is the Involvement Minister at Leclaire Christian Church in Edwardsville, IL. Prior to serving at Leclaire, Marianna worked with Christian Homes, Inc., in Lincoln, Illinois – working in ministry with older adults for over 22 years. Marianna has served as an adjunct faculty member at both Lincoln Christian College and Seminary and at UIS. She has spoken for a number of professional and church-related groups and has written articles for the Illinois Senior News and Times and the Christian Standard.