Devotional Time with God

I’m not perfect. I realize that’s from the beginning. I also don’t have a good record of keeping peace in my friends at work or church. It’s my abrasive personality. Something that I have to work hard to change and continue to refine.

I need to change, because God commanded me to get along with other believers:

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:3

I must seek peace. I must not get involved in gossip. I must find solutions to conflict. I must take the higher ground because that’s what Jesus would do.

I must keep harmony and unity in the church. Gods loves to bless a peaceful church.

In the past few years, after listening to God’s word about restoring relationships, I have been making the conscious effort of ensuring my relationships with family, friends, and others intact. It’s much easier to speak of the Gospel when I’m at peace with people – and myself.

If people don’t like me, I just have one question for them: If God loves me and I have no quarrel with you, then what’s the problem?

Focus on the relationships is always the key.

I admit I don’t have many friends. I don’t have many because I always thought people just don’t understand me.  I have idiosyncrasies that people just can’t stand, nor can they respect me.  At least that’s how I felt.

But now I know better – the common denominator is me. I have to ask myself, is it them, or is it me that has to change? Most likely, it’s me.  As a human being, my very nature is self-centered. I only want to look out for myself. I’m only interested on what’s best – for me!

Thankfully, Jesus has a different model for me.  Jesus forgave, repeatedly. Jesus spent time with others, looking after their needs and hurts.  Jesus died for our sins!  Jesus sacrificed Himself for the sake of the world.

So, I must be like Jesus.  I must show His love for others, spend time with others, and think of others’ needs. I must show grace, even when I think it’s not deserved!  I must build deep relationships.  That’s what the time spent on this earth for.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4

Living in this world is not easy. People are not like me. They don’t even like me. Most tolerate each other, because that’s the decent thing to do.

But the bible is clear that we are to love one another, especially with other believers. Jesus has fellowship with His 12 disciples, so He modeled the requirement of being in a community. He constantly be with others, helping others.

So should I!

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

1 John 4:7

I sometimes confuse that I have to work hard for my salvation. I thought I have to attend church, do good deeds, give donations, to buy my way to heaven.

I got it backwards!

It turns out Jesus died for me and that’s the simple grace for my salvation. The love for another, the good deeds, the attendance in fellowship with other believers, are the results of my belief in God.

Not only I believe in my salvation, I also belong in God’s family. It’s only natural.

In the same way, we are many, but in Christ we are all one body. Each one is a part of that body, and each part belongs to all the other parts.

Romans 12:5

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13: 13

These are the 3 things I take to heaven: my faith, hope, and love. They’re kept inside me. They are how my character is formed. I won’t need my house or money. I will take the love that I have in family, friends, and God with me to eternity.  I won’t need anything else.

I will make sure I love God and other people in this world.  It won’t be easy – for there will be temptations from the devil that will divert my focus and priority.  But with God’s strength and grace, I will succeed in my highest achievement: Love.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Ephesians 1:4-6

How rich am I?  If I measure my wealth from the material things I own, I’m not doing so bad.  But that’s never enough. Worse, my money doesn’t last and I can’t take it with me when I’m dead!  So what fills me up? What fulfills my deepest longing needs?

It’s relationship. Relationship with my daughter, my wife, my family, my friends… and especially my godly friends, who believes in Jesus as their personal lord and savior!  I am made to belong in God’s family, for he has predestined me to be with Him and His family in heaven.

I look forward to take my love to heaven and meet my brothers and sisters, in Christ!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Mark 12:30

I do often feel close to God when I sing worship songs. The words are like prayer and the melody is like a soothing calm to my mind.  Yet, God wants me to do more than that. Singing hymns is not enough. I must give God my all – my attention, my time, my shouts, my sweat, my talents, my money – as an act of trust.  I worship God because I want to give Him everything that I can give Him. God wants me to be sincere about it, too!

God simply wants me to bring me.

I picked my friends with utmost scrutiny. I don’t trust easily, and I’m certainly very picky who I share my life with. It comes to no surprise to me that I have very few friends. But that’s ok because I don’t need that many friends.

So when I read that God wants me to be His friend, I got confused. God certainly can choose his friends, but why me? What’s so special about me? It turns out that if I love God, then he’ll call me his friend. That’s a privilege worthy of praise. I wouldn’t befriend someone that easily!

Of course, the friendship means I also have to trust God. I also have to obey His will. I must choose to be close to Him. I must value His values.

In more ways than one, I have to be like Jesus, my personal savior… And friend!

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Having a close relationship to God involves in continuous communication with Him. It may sound like one way, or just talking in my head – but I know God is listening. The words that I speak or think must be of thanksgiving to Him. The motive of my prayer is to honor God, not to control Him.

Lord, reveal your will to me as I enter into this close relationship with you. Guide me. Purify me. Protect me. Let my focus be on you – always!