In one of my previous bulletin articles I mentioned how I often call or text my daughters to connect with them and pursue a relationship with them even though they are adults now. We talk about how they are doing and what has been on their minds lately. I based that previous article off of something that one of them had been thinking about. It went well so I tried it again with a different daughter this time. This article is a result of what she had been thinking about.
Is your relationship with God proactive or reactive? The Bible is full of scriptures that discuss seeking or pursuing God diligently (proactive relationship) as opposed to seeking Him only in times of need (reactive relationship). James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” That is a conditional statement. We must draw near to God if we want to have a relationship with Him. In Jeremiah chapter 29, Jeremiah had sent a letter to the Jews during the Babylonian captivity with a message from God. In verse 13 of the chapter, the words from God are, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” In both of these examples, God expects us to move toward Him to enter into a relationship with Him.
Consider an example of a plant that you have on your window sill. If you water and care for the plant diligently it will blossom and thrive. How do you think the plant will grow if you wait until it is wilted and nearly dead every time before watering it? Our relationship with God is very similar. If we are diligent in pursuing that relationship and tend to it daily, it will mature and thrive. On the other hand, if we neglect that relationship until we are spiritually at the end of our rope and only pursue God in times of need and crisis, we will not mature and thrive, and that is no relationship at all.
God desires a relationship with us, and that requires proactive effort on our part in diligently pursuing and seeking Him. He is already there, waiting for us, as exhibited in one of my favorite verses which reveals His character, Isaiah 43:1, “But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name. You are Mine!’”