The Heart Of God

I didn't know when I was going to return to writing on this blog. I knew that I needed new insight and revelation. I knew that I needed something fresh from the Lord.  I spoke to Him and He said to write what is on His heart. This is it.

As an intercessor, I experience the heart of God on a daily basis. Whenever I  am praying for someone I feel God's love over them. It is overwhelming. So much so, it makes some people think I am just being extra. But it is the fierceness of the heart of God that prompts me to love people in the way that I do.

So, what is in the heart of God during this season?

The heart of God is with the lost. 

It is impossible for me to walk the streets in light of the recent events in our nation and not weep for the people. There are so many needs. There is much anguish and pain. There is much uncertainty. I cannot have a blind eye to the needs of the people, especially during this time.

This is a time that cannot be wasted in personal agendas and opinions. Everyone has an opinion. But not everyone has an answer to the needs of the people. I wish we could just be brave enough to go and reach the lost the way that Jesus did. I wish we could simply say: Here are my hands. Here are my feet. What do you need?

But I want you to think about these questions:

What made us so insensitive to the needs of those around us?

What made us attempt to protect ourselves and our hearts when our protector is our Lord?

What made us think it is acceptable to not die to our own selfish desires?

What made us be okay with living just caring for ourselves, feeding our own mouths when we see people growing hungry in the streets?

Why do we seek God for our own selves and our own ministries?

Living life in the kingdom is costly. It is the ultimate self-sacrifice, and it is all done because of love and through love. 

If we were living the way that Jesus lived his life, we wouldn't be so worried about our lives, because Jesus wasn't. We wouldn't separate ourselves from the outcasts and afflicted because Jesus didn't. We wouldn't be promoting our names because Jesus concealed His own glory. We would have constant communication with the Father. We would sacrifice hourly. We would love the people, genuinely, so much so we'd spend a lot of time together. We would be quieter instead of louder. We would pray in schedule and out of schedule.

If we were living our lives the way that Jesus lived His, we would be powerful and effective in our assignments, not boastful or angry at those who reject us.

Take a moment to hear what is in the heart of God during this season. His heart is not for the boastful and prideful. His heart is for the loss, the sick and the afflicted, because after all, you also were once lost, sick and afflicted too.

It was in the heart of God to reach you. Someone heard that. Are you going to hear too?

When God Calls You To Do Something That's Never Been Done Before

What do you do when God calls you to do something that's never been done before? You look around and no one understands you. No one "gets" it. In fact, you just look crazy to a lot of people. You're different wherever you are. You are also rejected a lot. You start thinking: "Is there something wrong with me?" Then you realize this is exactly who you need to be. You begin to understand that those things about you some people don't like, are also the things that ended up saving someone's life. So, what do you with that? How do you walk that walk? I'm learning that myself. But I'm going to share some of the things I am still learning. Perhaps they can help you on your own journey.

You will be told many things about who you are. I've been told a lot of things. People usually tell me I'm too passionate, too raw, too intense. They tell me I care too much or that I'm too emotional. I am what many people call "extra". I have also been told that I am antisocial, or I have been told that I am too bubbly. No matter what people say, I am always labeled and I'm never "enough". Needless to say, I'm not pleasing anybody. But there's something I have noticed. I am usually perceived as "too caring" by people who don't really care. I'm "too emotional" for those who like to bottle up their feelings. I am all of those things people are resisting to be. I tend to remind people of the things God is calling them into. I poke into the sensitive areas of resistance. So you see, you can't be swayed by people's opinions of you. They will always have an opinion, and 9 out of 10 times it will be the wrong opinion. What you need to care about is God's opinion of you.

I tend to give a lot of value to who people are and what they carry. That's one of the things I do for people that they don't often do for me. So, as I give value to people and what they carry, I learn many many things from many different people. I take the good and spew out the bad. I'm not too proud to learn from a child. There are things a child can teach me an adult could never teach me.

So, what do I do with myself?

I have to go on this journey alone. There's no other way. I have to go onward with God. I need to let Him teach me what no one else can teach me. I have spent my entire life trying to find my "crew". There's no crew. The only crew there is, is God and I, because I still don't know who I am, and I will be discovering who He is for eternity.

So, I took a look at myself and thought: I am still learning and am I going to be sad about people not knowing who I am? It is not their responsibility to show me and teach me who I am. God teaches me that in the intimate place. At my previous school, we used to talk a lot about belonging. Yes, it is important to feel like you belong. It is important to have a safe community where you are welcomed no matter what. But you must first understand you belong with Christ. Until you understand you belong with Christ first, you will never understand belonging in the context of a community.

I spent too much time focusing on relationships- and that's part of my call. But I had to build up endurance to depend solely on the One relationship that will carry me through it all. Everything that I am and everything that I will do is in Jesus. He is the only one who knows who I am and sees me from the future. He calls me into the future me. All of these ideas I have about what I desire in my life; about prayer. about community, about teaching etc. It was all His idea. I give myself too much credit. I take too much control of my day-to-day life. I cheat myself out of my own destiny. Why do I do that? Because I don't know who I am.

So, if you're called to do something that's never been done before, if you're called to be someone who stands out in their difference and are catalytic, you are going to have to do a few things:

1. Depend on God alone. If you're going to be consistent with something, be consistent with your relationship with God. Learn about the spiritual disciplines and practice them always. You will build an easy flow in your relationship with God.

2. Build up endurance to stay the same whether people praise you or reject you. Trust me, those can flip at any moment. You don't want to be affected by that. Let your testimony be from the Father, not from people "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" John 5:44.

3. Be confident in who you are. If God says this is who you are, walk it. Believe it. You don't need more confirmation. When you hesitate, you do so because you have allowed the enemy to question God's call on your life. "Did God really say.....?" (Genesis 3:1)

4. Identify the people who carry your same DNA. Run with those people. You don't have to be the same or necessarily care about all of the same things. You're called to be different, so you won' find sameness. But run with people who value at least one everlasting thing you value. For example, run with people who value prayer, worship, service or whatever is the area you are called to value.

5. Pour into the people who want what you have. Don't waste your time with people. Some talk and seem like they want it but are not willing to put in the time or sacrifice. People who want it don't care what they have to do to get it. Love people. But don't waste your time babying people.

6. You will have many trials. When you do, make sure you cling to Jesus and nothing else. Rejoice in your trials. They are your training. God is building up faith and endurance in you.

7. Give yourself the value God gives you. Have you read the book of Ephesians? You are pretty awesome. If God said what He said about you, don't undermine His words. Don't give yourself any less value than the value God gives you.

8. Don't have an opinion of yourself that is higher than the opinion God has of you. He is still God and Lord. He is still on the throne. He will humble you immediately because everything you have He gave to you (James 1:17). Don't take glory for yourself.

9. Choose to sacrifice and die for what you're called to do, but only if you are giving the glory to God. If you catch yourself doing anything for you or for people, stop and regress.

10. Do it all because of love. All of it. If you do it for any reason, you are wasting your time.

11. Learn to grieve and repent. Grieve and repent. Repeat. You can't grow if you don't know how to grieve or repent.

12. Honor others' journeys. But don't try to get other people to do what God has called you to do. There's a reason He gave YOU the vision and insight.

13. Make sure you have people pouring into your life, but most importantly, make sure you have friends who stick with you no matter what. You need a Peter, John and James. You need the 12 and you need the 72. The crowds will come and go.

I hope these things help you in your journey. If you want to know more about my journey, check you my latest YouTube video and my latest Odyssey article.

Counting The Cost

We all know about David. He was King David.

He was a Psalmist. He was a dancer. He was a warrior. He was a man after God's own heart. So much of what we do and who we are as believers is emulated after David. But I don't think we really understand what it takes to be a man or woman after God's own heart.

I am not writing this to tell you the story of David. You can go to the Bible and read it on your own. But David's life was not easy. Actually, his life was pretty terrible.

The easiest years of David's life were before he was anointed. These were the years where he enjoyed anonymity. He didn't have a king chasing after him to kill him. He didn't have his best friend killed, his son die as a result of his sins, his wives locked away or his sons killing each other going after his throne.

The life of David was filled with too much heartbreak, too many wars and too much sadness. But interestingly enough, I don't think there is anyone in the Bible who worshiped like David. He certainly worshiped more than any of the kings of Israel.

But why am I talking about David? Because I want to be like him. I want to worship God all of the days of my life. I want to write worship songs and adore Him. I want to live in the house of the Lord all of the days of my life:

 "One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple." Psalm 27:4

Actually, the person in the Bible I am called to be like is not very different from David:

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.  And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2: 36-38

But there is something I haven't really thought about. On Tuesday, before we began our watch at Times Square House of Prayer, the Lord kept saying to me: "Count the cost". And I would weep and agonize, because the things He is calling me to lay down and the things I must be willing to lose are great. They are very great. Living a life after God's own heart means that nothing else could possess my heart. Nothing. I have to be willing to lose it all and count it all as loss.

The Lord kept saying to me "Count the cost", and I kept saying: "Just please don't take your presence away from me. I know I will suffer for your sake. But please don't take your presence from me." He didn't say anything. I didn't understand why. Truthfully, He is God, so He is not obligated to answer. But I understand why He didn't say anything now.

The goal is to follow Jesus. Following Jesus requires me to take up my cross. But even Jesus, when He was on the cross, felt abandoned (Matthew 27:46). So, if I am to live this life, I also have to be willing to keep being obedient no matter what. I have to keep going even when I don't hear Him, even when it feels like He has forsaken me; though He never has and never will.

David didn't have the Holy Spirit living inside of him like we do today because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But David still believed. He still sought the Lord. He sought Him not because of what He has, but because of who He is.

I want to live this life. But I am yet to say yes. I'm counting the cost. Have you counted the cost to live the life you're called to live?

"Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’  Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." Luke 14: 25-33

I'm Hungry

On Tuesday, at Times Square House of Prayer, the glory came to inhabit our praises. It was such a thick presence we were all deep into our own moment with God, receiving revelation from heaven. I couldn't stop crying the next day. I had this intense desire for God. I was having this realization that I belong to Him and I belong in heaven, that I'm here on this earth but for a moment. I had to work all day on Wednesday and I didn't really know how to be with God throughout it all. I have lived on this earth and been a part of this culture for so long, my mind does not really know how to operate from a heavenly mindset.

So after Tuesday, I began a quest to shift my mind and lifestyle toward the heavenly call. But there are a few things that I have bumped into along the way since Tuesday. The first one of them is the flesh.

"For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." Romans 7:14:15

The flesh does not want to submit to God or to the heavenly call. It has to literally be forced to serve God. The flesh also does a very good job keeping you busy and feeding you anything that is not God, His Word or His Spirit. The flesh will think of a million things you have to do until you're so filled with tasks, you forget how much you hunger after God.

Hunger. That's a word.

1. 1. 1a :  a craving or urgent need for food or a specific nutrientb :  an uneasy sensation occasioned by the lack of foodc :  a weakened condition brought about by prolonged lack of food
   2. 2:  a strong desire 

That is the Merriam-Webster's definition of hunger.

Have you ever heard people say that they are hungry for God? I am pretty sure you have. But have you ever seen someone hungry for God? What does someone who is hungry for God look like? They can't wait to commune with God. They long for Him day and night. They long for His presence.

Can I be honest with you?

I haven't been very hungry lately. Actually, I have felt fairly fine. I have been okay encountering God only sometimes, knowing full well I need more of Him. I have been fine ruling over certain areas of my life and just letting Him rule some others.

See, I know full well He is calling me to a higher level of surrender. But there is not much hunger. I haven't been longing for Him day and night. I hunger for Him usually once in the day. But the rest of the day, I'm calling the shots. I call on Him to minister to other people while there are other areas of my life I leave Him out of. Those areas could be work, to-do lists, relationships, my thinking patterns, etc. I know that I want to spend more time with Him, but I only want to spend alone time with Him when there's no one in my house. If there are people there or if I'm outside, it's too hard for me, or rather, it's too hard for my flesh.

I have blamed a lot of it on my circumstances. But truly they are just excuses. Even when I find myself in favorable conditions, I self-sabotage. I don't know what to do for hours in a quiet house, where I can pray and worship as much as I want without interruption. When I have that, I find myself getting busy again. I think about a million things I need to do. I check Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Whatssap, you name it. There is so much to be distracted with I never really get hungry for God, like really hungry.

And I want to be hungry. And I need to be hungry. I need to live a life worthy of my call. I need to desire to live out my heavenly citizenship. I desire Him. I do. But desiring Him that much requires a complete change of my mind, heart and behavior. I want to wake up hungry and I want to go to sleep hungry.

So, I'm letting Him change everything. It's a slow process but everything is about to get shifted in my life. My thinking patterns, my emotions, my habits and relationships. He is changing everything. This is the level of hunger He requires. This is the level of surrender He requires. This is the level where Jesus is Lord over everything. This is the level where my flesh is starved. This is the level where I quit wasting time on Facebook or Twitter, checking on Trump's tweets. This is the level where things that don't matter really truly cease to matter. This is the level where I hunger so much after Him I talk to Him and worship Him whether there is noise in my house or not. This is the level where I cling to Him regardless of my circumstances. This is the level of living a life worthy of my call.

I am doing this, because at the end of the day I don't just want Him, I must have Him.

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you." Philippians 3:8-14

Rough Week

This past week caught me completely off guard. Suddenly I found myself in really difficult situations and a roller coaster of emotions. I'm going to be completely honest with you about where my heart is. I am now deep into a process of mental, emotional and spiritual healing.

It may seem ironic to be in such a higher place spiritually, and yet having to deal with the yuckiest parts of myself. But it is actually the perfect time for this to happen. See, the Lord is pushing me out of my comfort zone, far out. We may pray and sing during worship that we'll do anything and go through anything with Him. But it's only when we go through the trial that we really find out if we are willing to go through anything with Him.

This week I was faced with some of the most uncomfortable and challenging situations. I had to endure nearly a week of constant noise and people around me. Not only do I re-charge alone, but the kind of people that were around me are the people who trigger my anxiety the most. So, I was in the midst of triggers without being able to run to the Father in quiet comfort.

In addition to this, I was away from all of the people whom I have community with. Pretty much anyone who could counsel me or pray for me during my difficult situation was unavailable. I was fighting this battle alone. But that wasn't the worse about it all. One of these relationships was challenged and I found myself facing yet another war. Now the trust was broken from one of those close to me.

I was heartbroken. I was beaten down. I was at my highest level of anxiety since I had had a breakthrough in this area. But you know what is the worse about the whole situation? That I had lost a lot of my trust in God. It was the most surprising revealing of my heart because I had just reached my highest level of trust in Him.

But these are the questions of my heart:

God, if you are taking care of me, then why are you putting me in these situations?

God, if you are protecting me, then why are you allowing people who hurt me into my life?

God, why am I in this situation? I want out.

Yesterday and today God has been answering gently and lovingly all of my questions:

"I am putting you back in these situations because if you can have victory in the midst of your greatest giants, you can have victory anywhere"

"People are not hurting you. You are hurting yourself by the expectations you place on those around you."

"You are in this situation because you need to grow and mature. I can't take you where you want me to take you the way you are"


Yet again, I am trying to live this life in the safest way possible. I just want certain people and environments around me. I don't want anything or anyone unsafe. I don't want unpredictable people. I don't want unnecessary noise. "I, I" "Me, me". Why does it have to be about me? Why do situations and environments have to be yielded to my will? Shouldn't they always be God's will? Shouldn't I trust God has my back?

So, this is what I'm going through. I am processing a lot of areas in my life that I'm still in control of. I am learning to live in victory in the midst of my fears. I am trusting God while I'm being bent, shaped, broken, restored, refined and smoothed over. I'm getting a new identity.

Last Year On Thanksgiving Day, I Was In Love

With J*** on Thanksgiving Day

On a day like today, it is difficult not to think about where I was last year.

At this time, on this day, I was getting ready for my then-boyfriend to arrive here from Maryland. We had been dating for 3 months and we were on fire in love with each other. It was the first time he was going to meet my family. It was also the first time I was going to bring a boyfriend home.

We were happy to see each other but we also knew we were going to be around a lot of people, in the midst of a lot of commotion.

He was so very nervous when we arrived home. I didn't know why. He had been confident about it before, but this time he was really uneasy. As the night progressed, it seemed like he became more comfortable.

I thought we had a great time. My family liked him and he liked them. I found out later on he didn't have a good time at all. I expected some of the cultural shock, but I didn't know it was going to be so extreme. We slept at my parents' that night, and in the morning it seemed like he couldn't wait to get out of there.

I later found out why.

We had been discussing back and forth some details about our future. I kept pushing for us to live in New York, yet foreseeing the possibility of moving to Maryland when we were ready to have kids. He kept pushing for living in Maryland as soon as possible.

The morning after Thanksgiving, we were traveling to Maryland for him to make it to his church's Friday night program. When we were on our way, I found out why he had been so nervous.

He was about to tell me that he most definitely did not want to move to New York. He thought I was going to break up with him over it. He wanted to have a discussion about it before we left, so that if I wanted to break up with him, I wouldn't make it out to Maryland unnecessarily. I remember him telling me that he felt like I was holding his heart in my hands, and he had no idea if he was going okay or if I was going to crush him. No pressure, Anel.

So, we talked about it.

I told him that I wasn't opposed to moving to Maryland. I told him I actually liked his church family and was reserving my feelings about it because I wanted him to strongly consider New York. He told me it was my decision whether I wanted to move forward in the relationship or end it in light of his news.

I told him exactly what I felt. I told him that breaking it off gave me peace, but that I wasn't ready to face the heartbreak. I told him that staying in the relationship with him, though joyful, made me feel stuck. I felt like my life was already planned out. I had to be a part of this particular church. I had to live in this particular state. I had to live this particular life. I felt stuck.

He told me he didn't know why I felt that way. He told me hearing that from me really bothered him. I didn't know what to make of that. Ultimately, I gave in to his wishes. I thought: "I could be happy anywhere. God will use me anywhere and bless me anywhere. So, if this is that important to him, I'll give in."

The rest of that weekend is really blurry. I know we kept seeing each other almost every weekend during the holidays but I also remember it was the last time we were happy. December was the last time we shared a happy time together. Every month thereafter was a struggle. After going back and forth on our differences, sharing more time together and even going on a mission's trip to the Dominican Republic, we sill ended up breaking up in late May.

What did I learn about this? That I can't compromise. I was born to be free. It doesn't matter what state I get to live in as long as I'm doing ministry and serving the Lord. But I need to be free do to everything that God has called me to do, and I can't be in a relationship with someone who doesn't want or understand that. (If you want to read more about our differences, see my guest blog post on Amy F. Davis Abdallah's site)

Some people get upset with me when I talk about the possibility of being single for the rest of my life. Why is that a sad thing?

"I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord." 1 Corinthians 7:26-35

No other time in my life have I understood these verses more.

So, today I am thankful for J***. I am thankful for what he taught me. I am thankful for my single life and for knowing what I want, and not compromising. I am thankful for my family, for my faith family, and for the ministry opportunities the Lord has opened up. I am thankful for Jesus and how He has restored my life.

It is okay to end relationships with good people. I wish I would've just known that. But today I am grateful for it. I am happier than I've ever been and more thankful than I've ever dreamt...

It is my ultimate joy to share all of these close relationships and so very many others I treasure so dearly. It is impossible to take these relationships for granted.

They fill my life and my heart with unending joy. I have learned to be grateful for what has been and is no longer, but to be even more grateful for what is.

Happy Thanksgiving :D I pray you count your blessings today.

Why Relationships Are The Toughest And Most Important

                            One of my dearest friends and I

I was having a conversation with my good friend Yisel about this just last week. I remember telling her: Relationships are so tough, and we can't escape them.

For most people, when they hear the word "relationship" they immediately attribute such to a romantic type of partnership. However, when I say this word I mean to use it in the broadest sense. I do this because first of all, I like to call things what they are. Second, I want to attribute meaning to something this society has simply devalued.

We live in a world where independence and individualism is valued. We even celebrate people who only care about their own affairs and make a blind eye to the cares of everyone else in the world. We say this is a smart thing to do. We say that we cannot please people and that everyone will always have a different opinion about you. 

For this matter, we like to isolate ourselves and live inside our little bubble. The truth is that we just don't want to get hurt or disappointed. We have lived separate from God all of our lives and many times we want the people around us to fill the needs that only God can fill. 

Eventually, we find out that no human can ever fulfill our needs and that they could never be flaw-less or disappointment-less. So we isolate ourselves. We make an island for ourselves that if it's not physical, it is surely mental and emotional. But we are lonely, and we are unhappy. 

Let me unpack some of the things I have said:

A relationship is any type of bond or connection a human being has with another human being. Relationships vary in time and nature. There are different ranks among relationships and there are different levels of loyalty and trust. 

Can I call the relationship I have with the cashier at the supermarket a relationship? Yes, I can. The nature of the relationship is one of service and consumer. The time I spend engaging in that relationship is brief. 

There are aspects of my life the cashier will never know about. But for some moments, that human being made in the image and likeness of God, provided a service to me. I smiled to this person. I shared a little dialogue. Perhaps I shared a piece of information that may prove to be helpful to this person or vice versa. That brief relationship and contact has now created an effect in my life or theirs. 

Why am I talking about this? Because I seek to give value to every interaction we have with every person. We don't live in a bubble or an island. My groceries do not get packed by themselves. I don't drive the public transportation bus myself. We need people. We need people so much that if I lived in a rural area where there are not a lot of people, I don't get to have a supermarket. I also don't get to have a gym, or a library. 

We need each other, so we need to start giving value to each other.

What about the people in our closest circles? We need to stop dismissing them and changing them like we do clothes. Everyone wants the same things. Everyone wants to be loved and appreciated. Everyone wants to live in community. But there is a price to pay to living in community. The price to pay is one of vulnerability. We need to take the risk of getting hurt. We need to take the risk of having difficult conversations and situations in the midst of our relationships. They are worth it. 

We need each other. If it wasn't for the many relationships and interactions I have had in my life, I would not be where I am. All of the lessons I have learned and how much I have grown are attributed to the relationships I have had.

The most profound relationship I have and the model for every other relationship is my relationship with God. One of us is perfect, so it could never quite equate to a human relationship. However, there are more things to learn about my relationship with God than any other relationship. So much so, that if my relationship with God is not solid, it is extremely difficult to have solid relationships with anyone else.

So what are some characteristics of relationship with God that bleed into human relationships?

First of all, there is no room for superficiality. I can never come to my relationship with God pretending I am someone I am not. I can be nothing less than raw and transparent. He demands the truth out of me. He is always true and always honest; and even if I'm not trying to be true and honest, He will still get the truth out of me. There is so much transparency in this relationship.

How many of our relationships have failed because we fail to be honest with each other? A lot. So, why don't we learn from from our relationship with God and practice transparency? It will be incredibly fruitful.

The second thing about my relationship with God is that it is intimate. It is something that He and I share, and no one else is invited to it. We are not afraid to say I love you. I am free to be my rawest self with Him. 

I should probably pause here and say that this rank of relationship is most definitely NOT for everyone. Married couples share their rawest self with their spouse. It is worrisome some do not. But besides that point, your rawest self is not for everyone. Jesus let John, James and Peter see things the other nine disciples never saw. So take note of that. A short list for this level of intimacy is optimal. Nevertheless, you should have people you get to be your rawest self with. If Jesus had them, why wouldn't you?

Lastly, God is in all of my affairs. He is there for every decision and every situation. He and others around me keep me accountable. And that is one of the most problematic things about how we live. We don't have people keeping us accountable and we don't want people keeping us accountable. This is how we end up making some terrible decisions. We need someone who knows our raw self to keep us accountable. 

So, are relationships complicated? Definitely. But are they worth it? Absolutely. You need all sorts of relationships. You need family, friends, acquaintances, networks, etc. You need people. You need people and you need God. The people around you not only teach you about God but they are also a reflection of Him. I'll leave you with this Bonhoeffer quote:

“Why is it that it is often easier for us to confess our sins to God than to a brother? God is holy and sinless, He is a just judge of evil and the enemy of all disobedience. But a brother is sinful as we are. He knows from his own experience the dark night of secret sin. Why should we not find it easier to go to a brother than to the holy God? But if we do, we must ask ourselves whether we have not often been deceiving ourselves with our confession of sin to God, whether we have not rather been confessing our sins to ourselves and also granting ourselves absolution...Who can give us the certainty that, in the confession and the forgiveness of our sins, we are not dealing with ourselves but with the living God? God gives us this certainty through our brother. Our brother breaks the circle of self-deception. A man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the other person.” 

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community