As a child you may have heard someone say “this person is a bad influence on you” or “you spend so much time with [so and so], you’re starting to sound like them!” – Well this is one of the areas where what is true in the natural, is true in the Spiritual.
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
2 CORINTHIANS 3:18
We need to look at our relationship with Jesus as a priority and spend real time in His presence. Prayer, worship, reading Scripture and meditative devotional time are all essential to having a strong, grounding connection with God.
The closer your relationship is with the Lord, the more capable you will be of overcoming trials and difficulties in your life. You will see a bigger picture and be able to operate outside of what is naturally expected. You will bounce back from pain faster. You will be quicker to love and slower to anger.
Why? Because you can’t dwell in the Presence of the Most High and come away unchanged. You can’t have a close relationship with the Living God, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth and stay the same old you. Being in that presence will cause you to step into your truest identity. To shed your old nature and live out of the deep well of your Spirit.
“Love who you were created to be and you will get back to that place of identity and gratitude.”
LIVING IN DEPENDENCY & WONDER
Talk to the Lord as you’re driving, as you’re going for a walk. Whenever you see goodness, take a moment to acknowledge His handy work, and wherever you see sadness or conflict, take a moment to invite Him in.
HOW DO I START? Keep a journal of your devotional time. Write down your blessings. Write out your favorite Scriptures or the lyrics to your favorite worship songs. Write letters to God and then send out your spiritual antenna, so to speak, to see what you feel Him saying back.
What are some things have worked for you in your relationship with Lord?
How do you strengthen your connection to Him when life gets hard?