Information Isn't Relationship

Everyone reading this knows a person could spend most of their lifetime studying another, even becoming a genuine expert on the other's life writing a stack of articles and several books, a thorough biography about them -without ever spending even a second WITH them in real-time relationship.

This principle has held true by countless book authors, article writers, educators, professors of religion, people in the pews and perhaps some reading this right now.

I woke briefly in the middle of the night thinking how very blessed I am lying next to my incredible wife of (at the time of this writing) 53 years and thought nobody could write the details of her life to the extent I could. I mean, plenty could research her thoroughly and as a more gifted writer than I, produce a biography but wouldn't know what I know about her due to one indisputable fact: I have had the most complete daily RELATIONSHIP with her of anyone on planet earth.

One of the saddest truths is that there have been and shall be many who think, study, speak and write about Jesus Christ with no real depth of actual relationship with Him.

Reading God's Word daily, prayerfully, speaking directly to the risen Christ, listening to His voice via His Word, and through other of His present disciples, connecting with Him via one's mind and heart, reaching out to Him moment-by-moment in thoughts, spoken words, song and indeed study, a daily SHARED WALK with Him is what I'm talking about. A steady, on-going conversation, sharing praise and thanksgiving, hurts, worries, turmoil, dangers, all of life, asking for help, provision, blessing Him for countless blessings He brings and allows us through each and every day, worshiping Him- this is the stuff of relationship, of KNOWING the Lord versus knowing about Him.

All the many-layered things I do with my amazing wife daily have nurtured a relationship with her. Without all this we, and I, would have not had one -or certainly the distance would have been (or now be) greater between us. Consider the points I've just mentioned in the above paragraph (and there are -more- still!) and consider how to close the gap between God and yourself.

I find a. "self-focus" and b. a load of varied "distractions" the key robbers alongside someone Jesus called c. "the devil" the main obstacles to actually knowing Him and growing in relationship versus collecting mere intellectual information about Him.

It's like travelling from London to Chicago: there is practical work and habit-change needed for anyone to get from where one is to where one -might- possibly get to ... but the effort and journey is worth it!!

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn