It’s A Relationship

A Devotional from Joshua Wilchcombe:

Gather around, I’ve got a story to tell…

It was 7th grade. I had my first crush and, of course, I had big plans for her to be mine. So I slipped a note to her in science class asking if she wanted to be my “girlfriend,” and she said YES. Can I get an AMEN… let’ssss goooo!

However, the only thing was I didn't think too much further after her actually saying yes. So, I dug into my brain archives of romantic movies I’ve watched, love poems I’ve read, and bad advice from my friends and thought, "Well, I should say that I love her." So I hit her DMs on MySpace (yes, social media existed when I was a young pup)… and I said the 3-word phrase that sealed the deal that the relationship was real: “I Love You.” Cringe. I know. Especially since, besides the occasional long stares at one another, we never even talked in person. So, long story short: My first “relationship” lasted a total of 5 days. Yes, yes… laugh at my pain because as I write this, I am as well.

BUT why did I tell you this? Because I think we can learn something from my teenage love bomb in connection with our engagement with Jesus, our Savior. In many cases, after giving our lives to Christ, we often fail to realize the depth—emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually—required to sustain such a relationship.

Did you know that the Creator of the universe wants a relationship with you? Genuine intimacy with you?

Because if you didn’t know, now you know. It wasn’t that the thought of saying "I love you" wasn’t well-intentioned; however, since there was no TRUE investment in me getting to know her, they were just empty words. Our Savior Jesus, in Matthew 22:36-38, was questioned by Pharisees on what was the greatest command to abide in as a believer of the Law. He says this: “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’”

Now, there are 613 commandments of the Mosaic Law… why would He state this as being the greatest? After all, the Pharisees prayed, sacrificed to atone for their sins, and knew the Torah like the back of their hands. Jesus, by stating this, brought to the surface a disparity amongst those who were supposed to be followers of YAHWEH. Sadly, there wasn’t any real connection. This shows that you can pray, read the Bible, go to church, and still be far from God.

Don't get me wrong, these things are essential to our development and the maturity of our faith. However, Jesus wants all of you, my friend. The good, the bad, and the ugly. In the eternal (New) covenant—being saved through Christ and not by our own strength, discipline, and willpower of abiding in written laws—He is giving an indication that He wants to establish a relationship with humanity that is tethered to Him.

He is waiting on you, my brother and my sister… YES, you reading. And He wants for you to want to know Him. He won't impose Himself onto you, though, or it would cease to be love. This week, we will explore what it looks like for us to give all of who we are to Him.

God Bless!

Always love to the Shooters HQ Family,

Joshua Wilchcombe