Keep The Portal Open

Relationships are one of the most precious things we have in life. They are simply a connection, association or involvement between people.

The ability to speak to someone about our lives; about what’s going on with us. This can be shared about the ins and outs of what we have and been through, things that bother us, successes, emotional tangents, our good days, our dark days… it’s endless; but something so key to our humanity.

We often take forgranted relationships. We can misunderstand, mis-judge, de-value or de-prioritise someone’s ability to listen, offer counsel, advise, encourage, speak truth, shed light on what we may or may not see, educate us; change and challenge our perspectives… again the list is endless.

But if we look at some parts of our lives we will tend to find that our circumstances and situations sometimes get the better of us. We get in the way of our relationships and they change. What we go through at any given time gets in the way of what is important to all humans; communication. An impartation of knowledge simply gets missed. Someone doesn’t get the message. It’s like we get caught up in barred wire; we choke.

When we feel like we are drowning or being choked, communication can sometimes be misplaced or put on the backbench. It is not always the first thing on our minds or we think we are communicating properly, but in reality our communication is cross-wired. We become busy in our worlds that we in ourselves change and in essence change the dynamics of our relationships. We have an epiphany of the heart and sometimes our communication turns into disappointment, frustration and others.

A breakdown of communication can tear down any relationship, and if extreme it can destroy a relationship, which also leads to growing apart from what was a great relationship with loved people to becoming lost in our own worlds; contact goes amiss.

This same example can also be seen in our relationship with God. When everything is going right and God seems to be communicating and answering our prayers, we love on him and appreciate him.

But then when things don’t go our way and it seems God has fallen silent we then refuse to pray and then turn away. Or do we?

A question to maybe ask yourself is: Is this something that happens in your relationship with God?

Sometimes what we go through and how we handle it causes us to stop speaking to God. We become tongue tied or speechless because of the impact of life upon us. Everyone is different and so is everyone’s relationship with God. He wants real, honest and close relationships with all His children. You can be honest with Him. He likes that.

Communication is key in any relationship, especially with God. As the saying goes ‘It takes two to tango’. If only one person is interacting then the relationship already has a problem.

We must learn that no matter what we are going through, we MUST keep speaking to God and our loved ones who truly care for us.

Yes, sometimes it is hard to keep speaking when ‘all hell seems to be breaking loose’, and talking is not always something that we want to do.

However hard things are, in good times and bad times, we MUST keep our communication alive, no matter how much or little. This is why ‘prayer is the key’. It’s not how much you say, it’s what you say that draws you close.

As humans we tend to apply our experiences with other human beings to God. How we are treated by others and are impacted by them; vise versa.

We can tend to think that He is like His creation, when we know it is the other way round as we were created in His image, and not Him in ours (Genesis 1:26-27).

This is why I like Paul. In Romans 8 Paul gives insight into his relationship with God. He shows us that you must make up your mind and be persuaded that nothing will separate you from the love of God.

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39 (King James Version)

Relationships are a matter of the heart. If your heart is in it, no matter the good or bad times you’ll pull through because your heart is in it. Your heart must be ALIVE and true in relationships. You have to know the other person in the relationship cares.

The whole Bible speaks of God’s love for people and what he did for them. John 3:16 is a classic truth of this. Are you connected to the love of God, not in deed but in heart? Do you truly know the love of God? Have you experienced this love in your life? Rhetorical questions for consumption.

No matter how bad things get, do not let yourself become detached from God; keep the door ajar. Keep your eyes and heart open. We mustn’t just know the written word (The Bible); we must know the Living Word (Christ).

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20 (English Standard Version)

It is very easy to shut a door, especially the door of communication. Be encouraged that regardless of how your relationships with people are, that we must keep our relationship with God a top priority. We can’t apply the same rules to Him as we do people.

Communication with God must be constant and from the heart. Keep your heart constantly before Him. Always keep your heart, mind and voice open to God.

Knowing His true love for you, allow you to love more on others and to be able to live an open free communication life. Try it!

By: Stacey Spencer - BFM Writer

(Edited by Faith)