A Relationship

"While Christians agree that the Bible does contain the moral law of God and shows us how to live our lives, the actual text of the Bible is much more besides. It is the history of a people and a grand narrative of redemption for all people. At its heart, it is the story of a relationship and not a collection of platitudes. As the New Testament opens with God coming in human form, we encounter Jesus walking the earth, not to restate a moral code, but to offer us peace with God. The Bible speaks about a personal God to encounter, not a set of propositions to understand or laws to follow." - Amy Orr-Ewing, (Ravi Zacharias, 2008)

How true. I used to think that the Bible was simply a list of to-dos. Thinking of the Bible in such a way can be destructive. We'd fail terribly and we will think we're always not good enough. And we'll end up always striving for something we can never attain.

I think that the rules that God has set were meant for good relationships with Him and with one another.

God is a righteous judge, yet He is also our heavenly Father. The same God appeared in human flesh as the suffering servant, our sacrifice so that we may have peace with God and one another.

Many, including myself, think that giving up my life for Christ/God is the most painful and hardest thing to do, and indeed it is. I can think of many people who've told me that they will not want to commit to a religion/christianity because there's too much to give up. To some extent, they are right.

Personally, it is difficult to give up some of the people or things that I've been holding on more tightly than I should. It is extremely challenging to obey in many areas of my life. Sometimes, I would rather continue living life according to my own principles and values, than to submit to God's rules.

But when I get a glimpse of God, and who He is and what He has done, there is true beauty and true love. And I can't help but to stop, think and constantly reconsider a wisdom and love that far exceeds my own. This renewed relationship with Him is one that God offers at the expense of the relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. And this renewed relationship offers the love, peace and hope that I think many of us really long for.