Devotionals

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“Love is a Two Way Street” Wednesday, June 29, 2005

“But if anyone loves God, the same is known by him” (1 Corinthians 8:3).


Some of us, Christians and non-Christians a like, treat our relationship with the LORD Almighty like it is a desperate drive by night emergency poker game at some less than holy place. We run to God at our most desperate hours in life and put the few chips we have left on the table hoping God will deal us a winning hand. If desperation turns to disparity that is when we usually turn to bargaining with the Lord either by counting up all our past good deeds done but have not yet turned in for favors, or we are promising God the ends of the earth knowing that we’ll never fulfill the promises. This scenario just described is how some of us view our relationship with the Lord is like. We take when we need and only give back when it is convenient for us to. This image can also be the metaphor for our approach towards praying to the Lord. The words might be a bit colorful and out of context, but if you were to stop and think about it chances are you’d be able to think of someone you know, or maybe even yourself at times past, who related with God in this manner.

Another area where some of us wrong against God is in the way we practice the faith. By our own power we give ourselves the right to pick and choose daily what part of God’s laws are convenient for our life style – all the while still calling ourselves a member of the faith which we profess to when asked our religion. If we were to do that with our government’s laws and out right violated a law that we consider to be of irrelevance to us we would probably be arrested and charged with a crime, neither of which could be erased from our records. But our ever forgiving Lord has forgiven us for many years of violations and will continue to as long as we are sincerely repenting. Sadly, here as well, some of us choose to take the opportunity to take advantage of our Lord’s love and think that as long as we say sorry later, any action we do now will be acceptable. Even our earthly parents would not let us get away with that. If we dare not to do it to them why do we do it to the Lord?

Then finally we when reminded to visit the Lord at His temple – attend weekly church service- we behave as if we are being asked to visit a relative we only see once or twice a year because we have to. And like everything else we try to justify our actions by once again either choosing the laws of God that we find relevant to our lives, or we make up excuses for ourselves like – well, that is really the only most important times of the year to go to church.

Despite of God’s constant love for us, we His children can find many ways to hurt God. Why? Although we can not see, touch, feel and smell Him, He is still very much alive and is an important part of our lives. Relationships must be a two way street if growth is to occur. We must talk to God if we want Him to talk to us. We also need to visit Him and be with Him, share our troubles and our joys by thanking Him as often as we are asking Him for favors. God continues to bless us everyday by providing for us things like: jobs for financial security, food for nourishment, clothing for warmth, and shelter for protection. We have friends, neighbors, and family who are willing to go out of their way to help us, or to make us smile, or share in our sorrows with us. All these things and many more are signs of God giving generously in His relationship with us. Where are our proofs? If we would not even consider treating anyone else that we share a relationship with like this, why do we do it to Him – who is our Lord and our Father?

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