During a recent time of prayer one woman said “Thank you Jesus for what you did for me. I believe even if I were the only person on this earth needing saving, you would have gone to the cross for me.” All present whispered AMEN or YES Lord. However it wasn’t until I got home later that evening that the truth of her words struck me. Jesus allowed Himself to be humiliated, brutalized and crucified for me. He did this so that the promise of eternity He offered me could be realized. He did this so I could live a life of hope, so I could be comforted when I was feeling down, so I could be given strength to resist temptation, and so I could be His messenger of truth sharing with those closest to me. He did it so I could have an individualized relationship with Him. He also did it for you, so you could also be His.
Jesus’ death and resurrection affected all of humanity. But I know that when I stand before God, when you stand before God, the individuality of our relationship with Him will be clear when He personally acknowledges us. He will not compare us to anyone else nor suggest He loves one of us as much or as little than someone else; it will be about me and Him, you and Him. Scripture is clear that all people are God’s creation (Colossians 1:16) and that He loves the world (John 3:16) and showed it by giving Jesus to die so reconciliation with God became possible. However, scripture also says that to those who believe and accept Him will be given the right to become His children (John 1:12). In the ideal family, children are loved for their own merits not because they belong to the family.
It is important to realize that as Christ followers we are in a personalized relationship with God. Although we may function well in fellowship with others, eternity is dependant on our individual connection, adoration, worship, trust and belief in God. Each time we pray, whether it is intercession for a friend or a blessing over others, our actions and words are a reflection of that relationship. God hears the words spoken and knows whether they are said for the sake of those listening, whether it is a ritual that Christian fall into, or whether the speaker really believes God is listening and wants to respond. God is very interested in our mindset as individuals. He cares how we worship Him, how we acknowledge Him to ourselves and to others, how we seek to know more about Him by our reading and study of scripture, and how we apply His expectation to our daily lives. He cares because He sees it as a reflection of our individual relationship with Him.
We cannot hide from God. We can be surrounded by other followers singing praises at church or at a Christian concert, or we can be one of many voices lifting prayers to God at a gathering, or we can be seated amongst those listening to a Christian conference speaker. We know God created us to be in relationship with Him and with others, but He did not create clones. We are clay and He is the potter and although the formed pots may look similar, no two are truly identical. Amongst all crowds, the noise and the distractions, God sees and hear each one of us. He sees the individual personality, talents, and skills He placed in us and He wants a relationship with that person.
Some of us have yet to grasp the idea of a personal relationship with God; a relationship in which He cares about every moment of our day and how we seek to involve Him in it. He wants our praise, not because we should but because we realize we have a bond with the creator of the universe and it is personal. Will you take some time to think about your relationship with God? Don’t start with thoughts about what you think you should have done. Satan will try to break your relationship by suggesting you are not worthy. God chose you to be in relationship with Him. He alone decides what needs changing and will guide us to reflect more of Him in our relationship. Think about what a good relationship involves and then, in consultation with Him, seek to grow that relationship by applying some of those principles you uncovered. God used six days to create the wonder around us, so don’t be in a hurry to make it all happen at once. Let the potter mold you.