“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15, NIV)
Whether or not you’d call yourself one of Jesus’ people, you’ve likely seen the bumper sticker or heard the assertion, “It’s not about religion; it’s about relationship.” And maybe you’ve wondered who thinks this is helpful. First of all, what is it? And secondly, you’re not so sure you want another relationship.
Forget the golf swing. If you’re looking for something truly complicated, it’s relationships. At the golf course, they’re not so bad—but those are friendships. It’s the relationships at work and in your neighborhood, at home and even at church that can really test your mettle. Maybe you’re being reminded of why dogs are called “man’s best friend.” You may have to clean up after them in the yard, but apart from that they’re on your side.
Is our relationship with God only one-sided, or do we have something to give to him? We sure do!Relationships are not always easy, but they are vital. By design, God put us in a place of dependency—on him and on others. And by design, he has created others to need us, too.
But what about our relationship with God? Is it only one-sided, or do we have something to give to him? We sure do! For the next ten Fridays, we will explore our relationships (the varieties of our connection) and our relationship (the quality of our connection) with God.
Let’s begin by recognizing several different relationships we might have with God on the basis of Jesus’ words in John 15. In a single sentence, Jesus explores the connection of a servant and a master, two friends, and a teacher and a learner. All of these are ways we might find ourselves relating to God. Though he moved his disciples from the level of servant to the level of friend, we might still serve him, just as he said he came to serve us. We might also recognize the intimacy of friendship, where we talk with him about things we share with few others. And we can look to him as a teacher, one who passes on to us the things we need to know about life in his kingdom.
When we consider these three relationships, we birth little hesitancy in any of them. They are familiar connections, made so by our life experiences. They should set us up to see how we relate to God and how we might get better at doing so.
—
Jeff Hopper
April 10, 2020
Copyright 2020 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Relating to God 2: Those Who Believe
Relating to God 3: Those Who Love God
Relating to God 4: Those Who Honor God
Relating to God 5: Those Who Obey God
Relating to God 6: Those Who Sit With God
Relating to God 7: Those Who Cry Out
Relating to God 8: Those Who Praise God
Relating to God 9: Those Who Serve God
Relating to God 10: Those Who Glorify God