Both Ways

There is one thing that holds every relationship together: conversation.

Without conversation a relationship is not a relationship at all, it is simply an admiration from afar.

Relationships are about sharing hopes, fears, and dreams with people you care about. That is done by listening, speaking, reading, writing, signing, touching, through gestures, and expression.

Sadly, when you look at the lives of many Christians you realize that they don’t have a relationship with God at all. What they have is a belief, but no relationship because there is no real communication.

Most Christians come before God and talk TO Him when they need something from Him or to simply worship Him- both of which are good things, especially the latter.

But sadly most of us don’t spend enough, if any at all, time listening to God.

Conversations are two way. Your relationship with your spouse, child, or best friend wouldn’t be too interesting if all you did was talk at them and never allow them to say anything in return. You might as well have a mannequin for that purpose.

Or what if someone gagged you all day long while they talked AT you and never let you say anything in response. That would be pretty dehumanizing.

THE primary way to listen in response to God is through His Word- The Holy Bible. It is His personal message to us- a love letter expressing how much He cares for us, an encouraging note, a personalized guide book for your life and relationships, a detailed rescue plan written just for you, a love song written to you, a specialized instruction manual for salvation through trust in Christ. It is SO much and SO much more!

I’d take LISTENING TO God any day over TALKING TO Him. What He has to say is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than anything I could ever say or even fathom.

It’s so sad to see Christians who don’t read their Bible; who don’t have two-way conversations with God.

Listening to the Word on Sunday for an hour from your pastor doesn’t come anywhere close to the intimacy and power of reading God’s Word privately and daily on your own- it’s like listening in on someone else’s conversation when God wants to have a one-on-one talk with you.

The reformers fought so hard against persecution to get the Bible into the hands of the common man. Let us not forget it and feed from it daily!

Not reading your Bible as a Christian is like us placing tape over the mouth of God and saying,” SSHHHHH! I’m the one who does all of the talking here!”

So I exhort you to please let God speak to you through is Word.

As for me, I don’t really have a hard time listening. It’s the talking back that I need to work on. I spend lots of time in the Word and meditating on it and listening for God throughout the day. But it’s the praying TO God part that I need to get down to have a better relationship with Him.

Because He wants this relationship to go both ways: receiving and giving back.

Where do you need to grow?