Starting fresh with God
Several years ago when I was a college student and home for the holidays, my parents held a New Year’s Eve party at our house. My younger teenage brothers invited some friends over, some of my college friends joined us, and my parents had some adult friends there, too. At some point during the evening, my brothers and their friends headed to watch the ball drop on the TV in the den while the rest of us stayed in the living room to watch the other TV.
Pressing pause
This happened around the time DVR came out, so at some point during the festivities, we paused the TV so we could get more snacks. A few minutes later, everyone headed back to the living room with snacks in hand, ready to watch the ball drop. About ten minutes to midnight, we heard my brothers and their friends in the den shouting, “3…2…1…Happy New Year!”
All of us in the living room look at each other in confusion. That’s when one of us realized that we had paused the live TV earlier and had never fast forwarded to catch up to the current time. We had missed the big moment! We all had a good laugh and to this day still talk about the year we “missed” New Year’s Eve.
In the same way, I think we can put a “pause” on our relationship with God. If we aren't careful, we can miss out on what God has planned for us because of a lack of relationship with Him. Life is busy with work demands, family issues and kids’ extracurricular activities. Before you know it, it’s been months since you’ve attended church, weeks since you opened your Bible, and who knows how long since you’ve truly sat down to talk to God.
From my own personal experience and from my experiences as a pastor’s wife, I have seen how people’s start to fall apart when they put a pause on their relationship with God. Maybe you are experiencing this very thing right now.
Starting fresh
Even if you have fallen far from God, He is still there, waiting for you to mend your relationship with Him. The bible tells us “He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6) So as we begin this new year, I encourage you to start fresh. Here are some ways to help you push the “play” button on your relationship with our Savior. He is waiting for you.
Go to church. Make attending church a priority. Even better, get involved in your local church! Volunteer to serve, join a small group and get plugged in. Being a committed part of your church and being in fellowship with other believers will help to strengthen your relationship with God.
Read the Bible. Sometimes reading the Bible can feel intimidating. If you feel that way, a devotional out can help you. Another good resource if you have a smartphone or tablet is to download the Bible App. There are hundreds of devotions covering any topic you can think of to help guide you through the Bible. You can also have daily reminders sent to your phone, which can help you stay on track.
Pray. God wants to have a relationship with you. But just like your relationship with your spouse, friends and family, you must TALK to each other to keep the relationship alive and healthy. So talk to God. It’s as simple as that. He is always there to listen to His children.
Katie Loveday is a church planting pastor's wife serving in Marlborough, Massachusetts. She is a mother of three young children and enjoys encouraging and ministering to women and other young moms like herself.