Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
Nurture Your Friendships
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:4 NIV).
I love to grow plants. Every gardener knows that the key to a bountiful harvest of flowers, fruits, or vegetables is to carefully nurture the plants. Gardening is a test of patience. We plant and then wait.
Our friendships are similar to gardening in that both require nurturing. If we don’t feed our relationships with our friends, we will eventually have no friends. Life is about priorities. We make time for the things and the people that are important to us. A friendship with God is like any other friendship—you have to make time for it. God is a jealous God and does not want you to have any false gods before Him (Exodus 34:14). The Word teaches us in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God.” If God is your best friend, then doesn’t He deserve your best?
So, how do you build a deep friendship with God? This is a life-long process of growing closer each day. Some days I make more progress than others. Below are a few tips I have learned over the years.
Slow down.
We all live busy lives. We tend to focus on what is in front of us. There is so much noise in our lives. God is not going to try to out shout all the other voices in your life. To build a relationship with God requires us to slow down, be quiet, and listen. The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Think about how many times Jesus sought out a quiet place to be alone with the Father.
Seek Him
Psalm 25:14 teaches, “Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone He shares the secrets of his promises.” A blessing for the righteousness is friendship with God. Our righteousness is not from our own doing but is the fruit of our faith in Jesus. One of my favorite Bible verses is Matthew 6:33. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” A friendship with God requires us to slow down and turn away from the desires of the secular world and intentionally turn toward the desires of the Spirit.
Throughout Scripture, God provides invitations for a relationship with us. The key is how we respond to the invitation. The invitation is given to all but not all respond so not all bear good fruit. The Parable of the Sower is a parable of Jesus found in the three Synoptic Gospels in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:4-15. This Parable illustrates that sower sows the Word but not all respond positively.
Prayer: Dear God, We want to hear the Word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold, but not for our own glory but for yours. Help us to find time to nurture our relationship with you so we can bear good fruit to help build Your kingdom. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Certified Lay Minister and Men’s Ministry Specialist through Francis Asbury Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, LA. He is a Board Member for Gulf South Men, an Action Team member for The Kingdom Group, and a Board Member for the Lagniappe Country Walk to Emmaus. Todd is a contributor to Project XII and Baton Rouge Parents Magazine. He is a Past President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and remains active in this and many other local, regional, and international ministries. Additionally, he’s the author of the inspiring book “Fathering A Special Needs Child.” Todd also enjoys filling the pulpit to share the Good News of our Lord and Savior. Todd is the proud father of Emma and Kyle and resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
What Is A “Real” Man?
What Is A “Real” Man? I recently heard a term that caught my attention. A friend commented on a movie actor that he liked because the actor is a “real man.” He plays tough-guy characters that don’t put up with any nonsense. A segment of pop music encourages boys and men to be “real men” by selling drugs, killing rivals, and prostituting women. Some TV sitcoms portray “real men” as clowns, grouchy, or unable to communicate with their family. I reject all of these notions of a man and submit to you five characteristics of a real man:A real man honors... -
Choose Your Friends Wisely
Choose Your Friends Wisely “When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was” (Job 2:11-13 NIV). We are called... -
Joyful Obedience
Joyful Obedience “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15 NIV).If you were to list ten words to describe yourself, do you think “obedient” would be one of the words? You probably hope that when others describe you that they see some evidence of the Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).“Obedient” is not a fruit of the Spirit but is the conscious use of our God-given free will. God has given us free will to either obey His commands or not. Since the beginning of time in the Garden of...