Restoring Relationships: Faith In God's Power

Relationships are important to God, and He wants us to value them as He does. In Mark 12:30-31, Jesus says, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. However, when relationships break down, it can be challenging to restore them. This is where faith in God can help. By communicating with God through prayer, obeying His commandments, and studying scriptures, we can receive guidance and strength to forgive others and restore relationships. Additionally, recognizing God's constant presence in our lives and being grateful for our blessings can deepen our connection with Him. Ultimately, it is through Jesus that we can fully restore our relationship with God, as He showed us the greatest love by dying for us to forgive our sins and provide a path back to our Creator.

Recognise the importance of relationships to God

Relationships are of utmost importance to God. In fact, Jesus himself said:

> "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)

This is further supported by 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13:

> "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones."

God's Word guides us on how to love and respect others. By deepening our relationship with Him, we can better care about those around us. When our hearts are pointed towards God, our relationship with Him will overflow into other relationships in our lives and impact how we treat others.

The Bible also tells us to treat those with love who do not have the same ideals or who may step on our nerves. Relationships of all kinds take effort and love on our part. If we are struggling with this, the Bible offers wisdom on how to treat others.

God wants us to have strong, healthy relationships. He created each of us to love Him and others. When we value relationships the way God does, we will resolve issues as they arise.

God went out of His way to know us. He wanted to know us so badly that He gave His son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin, so we could know Him. If God gave all He had so that we could know Him, then we should put a priority on spending time getting to know Him better.

Our relationship with God is the most important relationship we can have throughout our lifetime. It helps us feel supported in all our other worldly relationships. It gives us the space to fully understand our feelings, needs, and desires without feeling ashamed or shy.

God is always ready for us. He is never too busy to hear from us. He doesn't think our problems and challenges are too small for Him. God loves it when we come to Him. He wants to know us and for us to spend time getting to know Him.

Forgive others and let go of bitterness

Bitterness and resentment can be toxic and self-destructive, hindering your progress and ability to live a purposeful and prosperous life. It can prevent you from attaining your goals and dreams, and it can harm your health and work.

Forgiveness is the antidote to bitterness. It is a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment, regardless of whether the offender deserves it. Forgiveness is not about them, it is about you and your growth, peace of mind, health, and joy.

• Recognize the negative impact of bitterness on your life. Understand that you don't deserve to live with the weight of bitterness and resentment.
• Forgive, even if you don't forget. You can forgive someone without condoning their actions or excusing their offense. You can still hold them legally accountable if necessary.
• Choose peace over bitterness. Decide that you won't allow resentment to control your life and prevent you from living peacefully and happily.
• Practice forgiveness daily. Make it a habit to forgive minor offenses quickly and let them go before the end of each day.
• Forgive without waiting for an apology. Don't hold onto grievances or wait for a request for forgiveness, as it may never come.
• Let go of resentment. Don't dwell on past offenses, even if you have forgiven them. Guard against bitterness taking root in your heart again.
• Focus on your goals and dreams. Bitterness can hold you back, but forgiveness can set you free to pursue your dreams and reach your full potential.

Remember, forgiveness is a gift you give yourself, and it can bring healing and freedom to your life.

Be mindful of God's presence in your life

It is easy to get caught up in the happenings of the world and forget to look for God's presence in our lives. However, being mindful of God's presence is an important aspect of strengthening our relationship with Him. Here are some ways to be more mindful of God's presence:

Communication

Communication is essential to strengthening your relationship with God. When saying your prayers, close your eyes and picture Him listening sincerely to everything you are saying. Talk to Him often and openly, as a child would talk to their parent. He is there to listen to your questions and concerns and to provide guidance.

Obey God's commandments

We should strive to obey God's commandments and live according to His will. This includes being kind and honest towards others and actively participating in church meetings. By obeying God, we grow and develop and become brighter and stronger in spirit, integrity and mind.

Study the scriptures

Scriptures are meaningful and beneficial for strengthening our faith and relationship with God. They allow God to speak to us and provide glorious accounts of spiritual moments throughout time. Learning about others who have had their faith tested can give us courage during our own trials. Making time to study the scriptures each day can revitalise your soul.

Listen for God's answers

While we may talk to God often, it is important to also listen for His answers and guidance. After praying, take time to be still and listen for God's response. Sometimes, He may be prompting you to be an answer to someone else's prayers.

Express gratitude

Show your gratitude for all your blessings. Say a prayer of sincere gratitude and thank God for His constant presence in your life. Being grateful will make you more appreciative of God and help bring your relationship with Him back to life.

By being mindful of God's presence and following these steps, you can revive your relationship with Him and experience His love and support in your life.

Study the scriptures

Studying the scriptures is an important way to understand God and His plan for mankind. There are many ways to study the Bible, but one of the most influential and simple approaches is to follow these three steps: observation, interpretation, and application.

Observation

The first step is to carefully read the text and look for terms, structure, emphasis, repetition, and relationships between ideas. Terms refer to words used in a specific context, such as "trunk" in "that tree has a very large trunk." Understanding the structure involves identifying paragraphs as complete units of thought. Emphasis can be observed through the amount of space devoted to a topic, while repetition highlights important ideas. Pay attention to cause-and-effect, if-then statements, questions and answers, comparisons and contrasts, and literary form.

As you read, ask yourself the following questions: Who are the people in this passage? What is happening? Where is this taking place? When is it set? Asking these questions will help you notice terms and identify the atmosphere, allowing you to recreate the scene in your imagination.

Interpretation

The second step is to interpret the passage by discovering its meaning and the author's main idea. This involves answering the questions that arose during observation and considering five clues: context, cross-references, culture, conclusion, and consultation.

Context is crucial, so read the verses before and after the passage to understand the near and far context. Let Scripture interpret Scripture by allowing other passages to shed light on the one you're studying, but be cautious about assuming that identical words or phrases have identical meanings. Understand the passage from the writer's cultural context, and then make a preliminary statement about its meaning. Finally, consult commentaries written by Bible scholars for additional insights.

Application

The third step is to apply the Scripture to your life. Ask yourself: How does this truth affect my relationship with God, others, and myself? How does it affect my response to Satan? The key is to put into practice what God has taught you.

Additional Tips

• Start with the New Testament, particularly the Gospel of John, or begin at the beginning with Genesis.
• Be consistent in your reading. Reading the Bible regularly helps to change the way we live our lives.
• Understand the literary form: discourse (epistles), prose (Old Testament history), and poetry (Psalms).
• Study by chapters, paragraphs, verses, books, words, topics, or biographies.

Admit that you are a sinner

Admitting that you are a sinner is the first step towards having faith in God to restore a relationship. The Bible teaches that everyone is born with a sin nature (Romans 5:12) and that everyone has sinned and falls short of God's perfect standard of holiness (Romans 3:23, 5:12). This means that we have all deviated from God's standards in our thoughts, behaviour, or words (Matthew 5:28).

Admitting that you are a sinner involves more than just acknowledging your imperfections or mistakes. It is about recognising that you have offended God through your actions, inactions, and your very nature. You must admit that you have missed the mark set by God and that your sin has separated you from Him (1 Peter 1:16). This separation from God is the consequence of our sinful nature and behaviour (Ephesians 2:1).

By understanding and admitting that you are a sinner, you can begin to restore your relationship with God. This is done through repentance and acknowledging that only Christ can save you from your sinful condition (Acts 16:31). You can ask for God's forgiveness and receive it through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

When you truly admit that you are a sinner, you can begin to live your life for God. This involves submitting your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and committing to stop living for yourself, but for Him (Romans 10:9, 12:1-2). By doing so, you become a part of God's family, and your choices and actions will reflect this new relationship (Ephesians 2:13).

Admitting that you are a sinner is a crucial step in restoring your relationship with God. It is the starting point for understanding the need for salvation and embracing the gift of eternal life offered through Jesus Christ.

Frequently asked questions