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God desires to have an individual relationship with all of us where we can learn and grow as believers. God sent His son, Jesus, to die for us because He wanted us to have freedom in having a relationship with him, according to John 3:16-17.
In having a personal relationship with the Lord and being filled with Christ, we are able to pour out onto others in the body of Christ.
“The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.” (Isaiah 58: 11-12).
When God created Adam and Eve, they were in complete freedom and openness with one another and God (Genesis 2:25). They were able to eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:15-17).
However, once they disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened to their nakedness (Genesis 3:1-7). They decided to try covering themselves up to hide from God (Genesis 3:8-11).
This act of disobedience put a separation between God and mankind where they no longer had the freedom to just talk to him and be themselves in front of him. They had to sacrifice animals every time they sinned and were not allowed to be in His presence unless they burned incense (Leviticus 4:35).
The Good News is that we have been reconciled back to the Father through the death and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 5:10). This means that because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we can now have an intimate relationship with God through Jesus.
We have unlimited access to a kind and compassionate God who loves us unconditionally. Scripture Bella compares it to, “Having someone who will always be there for you, filling your life up in love and compassion…”
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As we spend more time with Him, we become filled with His love and satisfied by His presence.
Jesus also says that if we are thirsty, we can come to Him for a drink, and as we become filled and replenished by His presence, we are able to pour out love onto others.
“On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow flow from his heart.’” (John 7:37-38).
Being part of a community is important for the growth of a believer. The Bible tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to use our gifts to uplift each other (Mark 12:30-31).
This command for every believer requires interacting with different people, and in order for us to have the capacity to interact with others, we must first be filled with Christ.
When we find ourselves in community with other believers, they can be going through things that we have faced already. We are then able to pour into someone else by offering something encouraging or uplifting to them based on what God taught us as we went through it (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
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As we navigate the hardships of life, it’s the presence of God that helps us persevere through difficult circumstances.
It can be difficult to point others in the direction of Christ if we don’t know Him ourselves. Furthermore, God wants to use us in the various ways that He has gifted us to refresh and restore others (Isaiah 58:11-12).
We get to know who God is by looking at what He has already done throughout Scripture and understanding that the same God who blessed the people in Scripture is the same God who blesses us.
We can share with others what God has done for us, which builds the faith of others to know that God will also come through for them in their situation.
Nicollette is a follower of Christ who grew up in South Florida. She has an AA in General Education and is working on her BS in Communication and Mass Media. Her goal is to edify the body of Christ through her writing.
