PBI: Personal Bureau of Inspiration: Before Dresser, a Real Dress-Down on Relationships

Well … I studied Carol’s cards as I started to get back to our “PBI: Personal Bureau of Inspiration/What’s on your dresser?” series … but, after the first sentence, God turned it into this:

We’ve written much about how important it is to have, to set aside, that daily time of prayer and Bible study. Just you, the Lord, and His Word. Both of you … speaking. If you really think about it, that should be “all three of you speaking.” And, both of you … listening.

It is just something that you must … make time for. Yes, you must make time for it, as you must “make” time for all of those things that are really important. You may think that you just don’t have the time … that this time doesn’t exist. Ready for this? You are right: The time doesn’t exist – – – That’s why you have to “make” the time!

How often many of us, when someone asks us about our “religion,” have described it this way: “I don’t have a religion; I have a relationship.” Don’t have time for that daily time of prayer and Bible study? Then, tell me, how can you have a relationship with someone you don’t speak with?
How do you get to know someone without spending time with them? It is a relationship, that’s for sure. And, just like any relationship, it can only grow by spending time with each other.
One more: What happens … and, man, have we all seen it … What happens when two individuals in a relationship don’t “make time” to spend with each other? Remember, the time isn’t there … it doesn’t exist: That’s why you have to “make” the time.

In a strictly worldly sense, often, it is both individual’s fault when the relationship starts to turn. However, could it be said that, often, one of the two has become too busy? That one of the two wishes, more than anything, that the other would just “make time” for them. If they would … if they could … just do that … make an obvious attempt to “make the time” to spend with them … how much different … how much better the relationship would be. Why, even if the other person would just “make the time” just to talk to them, and “make the time” just to listen to them … how different … how much better … their relationship, and yes, their world would be.

Do I “need to go there,” to the place where one leaves the other … or, “strays” from the other?
Perhaps not. Too painful.

I guess it is painfully obvious the relationship we are really writing about. How Jesus must feel when we don’t “have time” to spend with Him. To get to know Him better. To speak to Him. To listen to Him. That we’re too busy to “make the time” to spend with Him. How He must feel, that, if only we would just “make” the time, take the time, to spend with Him … how much better our relationship would be … and how much better our world would be. Then, the expected result of turning away from Him, leaving Him, straying from Him … how painful, to Him, this must be. Part of His pain comes from the fact that He knows how painful it will be for us … if we continue walking away … Indeed, He can keep us from stumbling … if we will keep holding His Hand.

How many of us claim to know God, and claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus, yet don’t spend any time with Him? How can this be? Sad to say, but it can’t be. Sorry!
I am so reminded (have I spent too much time around kids?) of the times when I have heard a Pastor say something like “Just because you go to McDonald’s doesn’t make you a hamburger.”
Or, how about this one: “Just because you have a car, and a garage, doesn’t make you a mechanic.” And, other sayings like it. Usually these statements are made in conjunction with the really old one: “Just because you go to church, doesn’t make you a Christian.”

I think it goes so much deeper than that. No, I don’t see how you can claim to be a Christian, and not have a burning desire to go to where the Word is preached. It’s much deeper than that, because it is true … you can go to church … do what is expected, etc., and still not live a Christian life. I believe there is just no way you can live a Christian life without this personal relationship with Jesus. I mean, unless you have this personal, intimate relationship with Him … how in the “world” can you possibly know what He wants you to do? Without spending time with Him, speaking to Him, listening to Him … how would you even know what is expected for you to do? I mean, without this quality time, how will you get quality answers? If you don’t hear from Him personally … how will you even recognize His voice? Oh, you’ll hear voices, all right … I can assure you of that. But, His sheep recognize His voice, because He is their Shepherd. So, how can He be your shepherd if you are not in His flock?

Are you going to tell me that you are going to be led by someone you don’t know? Now, that is what I call worldly living, and worldly thinking. Just remember that if you choose to follow the world, or the crowd, you will end up in the same place they do.

Jesus loves you, and wants to spend more time with you than anyone else. You will also get more benefit from spending time with Him, than with spending time with anyone else. By the way, yes, He wants most of all for you to have this personal, intimate relationship with Him … but, He also wants you to “make the time” for the other important relationship in your life.

Ever written, or perhaps preached something that you hope was also meant for someone else???
If the Word is really from God, it changes the messenger first.
Will close for now … must “make” a little time for a conversation I need to have …

Blessings to you, and your family,
Richard. Vincent. Rose.