When it comes to housekeeping, I’m a survivor not a thriver. In fact, I often use the phrase, “barely keeping my head above water” when it comes to laundry, dishes, and all other domestic endeavors.
However, there’s one part of my life in which I want to thrive, and that’s in my relationship with God. No matter how tired, overwhelmed, or busy I am, I want to do everything I can to nurture my relationship with the Lord and actually thrive instead of survive.
No matter where you are in your relationship with God—whether you’re just starting out or have known Him for a long, long time, I encourage you to invest even more of your heart, mind, and soul in the most important relationship you’ll ever have.
Here are 7 things women need to thrive in a relationship with God:
Faith
There are things in the Bible I don’t understand, can’t explain, and even find myself questioning. But at the end of the day, I know Whom I have believed. I know that He is able to guard what I’ve committed to Him (2 Timothy 1:12).
In order to thrive in our relationship with God, we must let faith triumph over doubt. After all…
- Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)
- God’s wisdom is given to us when we ask in faith. (James 1:5-6)
- The just live by faith. (Romans 1:17)
The longer I walk with God, the deeper I want my faith to be. Fortunately, the Lord reminds us that faith as small as a mustard seed can command mountains to move (Matthew 17:20). So if you want to deepen your faith in the Lord, and thrive in your relationship with Him, here are a few helpful resources to consider:
How to Deepen Your Personal Relationship with God
3 Ways Scripture Teaches Us We Can Increase Our Faith
20 Bible Verses About Faith for When Yours Wavers a Little
Time
It was Benjamin Franklin who said, “Lost time is never found again.” The time we waste doing everything but spending time with God, is time we will never get back. Deep relationships are built by spending both quality and quantity time with loved ones.
While women are busier than ever, they simply can’t afford to put their relationship with God on the back burner. He must be made a priority in order for other priorities to fall into place. For example, a car that runs on fumes might or might not get you to the gas station. But a car that is continuously fueled will get you as far as you need to go.
So it is in our relationship with the Lord. If we are only giving Him the last little bit of our strength, time, and energy, we aren’t going to feel very equipped for our journey. But if we give Him our time and attention first, we will be much better fueled for wherever the road of life takes us.
If you’re wondering how you can find more time with God, check out this resource. You’ll never regret carving out more time with the Lord!
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Nathan Dumlao
Love
In many ways, we’ve turned away from our First Love, as described in the book of Revelation. As John wrote to the church of Ephesus, he warned, “You have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:3-4 NKJV).
This passage indicates a life of hustle and bustle, but reveals a falling away from intimacy with our Savior. The encouraging thing is, we only need to confess the error of our ways and return wholeheartedly to Jesus.
Love is at the center of every healthy relationship—not the kind of love that the world has defined, but the pure and holy love of God. To thrive in your relationship with Him, return to those honeymoon days of falling in love with the Savior, and recommit your heart to Him. Perhaps, these resources will help:
What does it mean to love God?
How does someone love God?
Obedience
I’ve always been good at knowing what the rules are, but equally as good at not following them. Show me a sewing pattern, and I’ll throw it away and make my own. Give me a recipe, and I’ll “tweak” it to my own taste.
However, when it comes to my relationship with Christ, I want to follow His commands with a heart of surrender. I don’t want my human nature to override obedience to my Savior. The thing is, obedience to the Lord isn’t about legalism. The Bible clearly says that “no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” (Romans 3:20)
Instead, obedience to God is an act of love and respect. He has our best in mind. He is a good Father who works everything out for His glory and our good. Our response is to love Him and obey His commands. This deepens our relationship with Him while strengthening our faith simultaneously.
If you’re still unsure what obedience to God looks like, check out this article, Why is obedience to God important?
Photo Credit: ©Diana Simumpande/Unsplash
Repentance
One of the most comforting verses in the Bible is 1 John 1:9 that says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What grace the Father has for us, that He is willing to forgive us again and again!
Our relationship with Him will not thrive if we continually have sins and grievances that cloud our communication. I’m reminded of a season in my twenties when I was addicted to cigarettes. Every morning, before the children were awake, I’d take my cup of coffee, my Bible, and my pack of cigarettes to the front porch. It was a time I looked forward to.
But one morning, as I lit up a cigarette and looked up to the cloud-filled sky, I saw my sin through new eyes. It was as if the swirling smoke of my addiction had formed a cloud of separation between me and my Savior. I even found it difficult to pray, which scared me and caused me to throw the cigarettes away for good.
The Bible reminds us in Isaiah 30:15 that “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
This is one of those beautiful verses tucked in a chapter of the Bible that is full of warnings for God’s people. Amidst the hard-to-hear admonishments, we are encouraged to return to the Lord day after day, rest in quietness and trust, and rely on Him to be our strength. I can’t think of a better way to thrive in our relationship with God!
Truth
One of the enemy’s greatest distractions is taking the truth of God’s Word and changing it ever so slightly. His goal is for us to doubt, question, and ultimately discard the Bible’s absolute authority. And nothing will hinder our relationship with God more than the lies of the enemy.
Sisters, let’s be diligent to test everything in the light of the Scriptures. As we seek to go deeper in our relationship with God, let’s open our Bibles daily and learn to discern truth from lies. In contrast, if we are in the habit of seeking social media, news headlines, and people’s opinions more than the truth of God’s Word, it won’t be long before a chasm of mistruths begin to create a gap in our sweet fellowship with the Lord.
Here are a couple of resources to help you discern truth from lies:
Learn to Discern: How to Recognize and Respond to Error in the Culture
The Lies of Satan vs. The Truth of God: God Healed My Mind
Surrender
One of my favorite renditions of the beloved song, I Surrender All, was recorded by Crystal Lewis. In her rendition, she combines it with the equally beloved hymn, Just As I Am. The combination of these beautiful choruses is a precious reminder of how important it is to surrender our lives “just as we are” to the Lord.
Not only is surrender an initial step in giving our lives to Christ unto salvation, it’s an ongoing process of surrendering our will to the will of God. The truth is, our flesh will always be at war with the Holy Spirit within us. If we want our relationship with God to thrive, we must continually surrender our thoughts, feelings, and actions to Him.
Sweet surrender, day after day, keeps us humble and moldable in the Father’s hands. It deepens our relationship by consistently keeping our flesh in check with His Spirit. If you struggle to surrender everything to the Lord, please know you aren’t alone. Perhaps these articles will point you in the right direction:
Total Surrender
Total Surrender: My Utmost for His Highest
There will always be areas in life in which we will merely survive and not thrive. But no matter how much laundry we let pile up, or how many cobwebs we acquire, let’s be intentional about cultivating our relationship with God—the most important relationship we’ll ever have.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Antonino Visalli
Jennifer Waddle is the author of several books, including Prayer WORRIER: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer, and is a regular contributor for LifeWay, Crosswalk, Abide, and Christians Care International. Jennifer’s online ministry is EncouragementMama.com where you can find her books and sign up for her weekly post, Discouragement Doesn’t Win. She resides with her family near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains—her favorite place on earth.