Cultivating Relationship with God

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call

Cultivation by definition is: (Merriamwebster.com)
1. To prepare, or prepare and use for the raising of crops; to loosen or break up the soil about (growing plants)
2. To foster the growth of
To improve by labor, care or study

Foundational to any relationship is our relationship with God.

Matthew 22:36-39
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The first great commandment is to love God with our entire being, our heart, our soul and our mind. We are to love God with everything that we are.

In spite of our best efforts, we know that in this world we will struggle as our flesh pulls in the opposite direction. Jesus said we are to love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, ALL our soul, and ALL our mind. It is only by the power of His Holy Spirit living in us that we are able to do it. God does not command us to do something He doesn’t intend to enable us to do. And yes, He wants us to do it here. Be encouraged, we can learn to better cultivate our relationship with God. It’s going to require effort on our part. But it’s worth it!

Effort – not to improve our standing; not to gain forgiveness; not to get more of the Holy Spirit; not to be more accepted or more loved. No, our effort allows us to experience God’s grace more fully which empowers us to grow.

Having a growing relationship is an active, interactive experience/process.

Our relationship with God must be our highest priority.

Many things vie for our attention. If we do not protect, guard and cultivate our relationship with God, it will atrophy like unused muscles.
So here are some ways to cultivate —
1. Listen to Him — read His Word
2. Talk to Him — pray
3. Journal
4. Practice spiritual disciplines, such as: meditation, silence, fasting
5. Seek to grow in faith and the practice thereof

Our relationship with God does not just happen. To grow in our walk with Him, we have to…walk. What a wonderful companion we have in Jesus as we walk with Him!

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick. In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events. She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John for 30 years. She has 2 adult children, 4 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 11 in all. She delights in reading and teaching, but mostly in laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.