Divine Yearning for Profound Connection
Post #2309012
Author: Robert Ott
Posted: September 15, 2023

Is there anyone who can honestly say relationships are easy? If so, then God bless you. You are definitely not the norm. Real relationships inherently always ask for love, attention, honesty, affection, caring, patience, and understanding. Why is it so difficult for you and other people in a real relationship to provide these attributes to the other person? A primary reason is each person brings into the relationship their own personal positive and negative baggage. And that baggage does not always complement the other person’s baggage.

This baggage refers to a variety of experiences, emotions, and memories that you carry with you throughout your life. It may encompass positive experiences, learned lessons, and personal strengths that you have developed over time. For example, you may have overcome adversity or faced and conquered challenges and carry the positive baggage of resilience, determination, and wisdom gained from those experiences. On the negative side, this includes experiences, traumas, or unresolved issues that may have a negative impact on your well-being or relationships. Examples could be past abusive relationships, childhood trauma, unresolved grief, or addiction issues.

Some of the ways in which this baggage is manifested are: Inability to express your thoughts and feelings which can lead to misunderstandings. Difficulty in resolving conflict which can strain even the best of relationships. Lack of boundaries can lead to codependency or feelings of being overwhelmed. Unrealistic expectations of that “perfect relationship” can lead to much disappointment. Any one of these can be difficult, but collectively, they are exponential. Negative personal baggage can weigh you down and hinder your growth and happiness.

Divine Yearning for Profound Connection

When God created the earth and everything on it, everything below and everything above, He set in motion a dynamic that is directly modeled on the essence of God in Christianity—their relationship, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. With that, He established the ability for mankind to have a personal relationship with the God of the universe. That divine “relationship dynamic” defines our human relationships that ask for love, attention, honesty, affection, caring, patience, and understanding; God for us and us for God. In Genesis 1:26 it says: Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.” and it continues all the way through the Bible to Revelation 22:21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people. That is profound!

Here’s the difference, though, in God’s relationship with us, and the relationship we have with Him. On God’s side, it is perfect. He has none of the difficulties stated earlier. On our side, we have all of them. So, logically, who are the ones causing the problems? It’s us! We bring ALL of our difficult “baggage” into our relationship with God. And we react with God, relationally through our baggage, the very same way we react with people with whom we have relationships here on earth. How does God react to us, our issues and our reactions? He loves us anyhow. Nothing about us is hidden from Him, yet He is abounding in steadfast love. We should be amazed. Author Elizabeth Gilbert puts it this way: “To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow—can border on miraculous.” And that is exactly what it is. We are fully seen and “loved anyhow” by God!

Let’s unpack Gilbert’s quote just a little, but through the lens of the gospel. To be fully seen by somebody emphasizes the idea of being truly understood and recognized for who we are, with all of our flaws, vulnerabilities, and complexities. It’s about being transparent and authentic with God. And be loved anyhow, expresses that despite all of our imperfections, God loves us unconditionally. He accepts us for who we are without judgment or reservation. This is an offering that can border on miraculous. Being loved anyhow is a remarkable gift that God gives us. This gift highlights the rarity and value of such deep emotional connection and the transformative effect on each person. God’s gift flows from His divine yearning for profound connection.

Living-Out Our Relationship with God

This loving relationship is never given by God expecting anything in return. It is unconditional. But your changed life in conformity to the image of His Son Jesus, is your thank-you to Him for His gift. This is what I call living-out our relationship. I believe there are three primary tenets of this thank-you to God. They are:

     FAITH – Love

           PRAYER – Communication

           KNOWLEDGE – Reading and studying the Word of God

For a real relationship and to facilitate a continuing deeply personal and spiritual connection with God that influences your worldview, values, and actions, you must fully engage all three. To leave out or slight any one of these is to splinter your relationship with Him, resulting in significant spiritual, emotional, and relational consequences. Some of those consequences are:

         Spiritual Drift – Gradual drifting away from spiritual beliefs and values, becoming less connected to your faith community.

 

        Weakened Faith – Doubts and questions may arise, and you may struggle to find meaning and purpose in your spiritual life.

 

        Emotional Struggles – Find it harder to cope with life’s ups and downs, leading to increased stress, anxiety, or a sense of emptiness.

 

        Moral and Ethical Choices – More prone to making choices that do not align with your Christian values.

 

        Strained Relationships – Others in your community may expect a certain level of commitment to shared beliefs and practices. This                can lead to a sense of isolation or disconnection from them.

 

        Loss of Perspective – Without the framework provided by regular reading and studying of God’s Word, you may struggle to make                  sense of life’s challenges and may adopt secular worldviews that do not align with your faith.

 

        Missed Opportunities for Growth – Neglecting these practices, you may miss out on the opportunity to deepen your understanding of          God, yourself, and your purpose in life.

 

In 1939 at the beginning of the World War II conflict, Winston Churchill, future Prime Minister of Great Britain, expressed his intense frustration and confusion about the Soviet Union’s foreign policy intentions. There was so much riding on the understanding and response to the relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union. Churchill said of Russia, they are “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” I often think, even we Christians view and experience God the same way. We don’t understand. And there is frustration and confusion. The benefits of learning and knowing God are enormous. The disadvantages of not learning and knowing God are devastating. Fervently engaging all three of these primary tenets is non-negotiable for being conformed to the image of Jesus the Christ.

 

In the next few blog posts, we will address each of the three primary tenets in more detail.


Robert Ott: Leadership Advising Director

If you want to connect with Robert and talk more about what you read in this post, reach out to him at robert@ignitetheville.org. Be sure and reference the Post #number.

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