Discipline to Devotion: Understanding Your Relationship With Christ
I am the Pinterest queen! If there is a tip, a method, 10 ways to do XYZ I am all over it.
However, when my soul is longing for a more grounded relationship in the Lord, I know that I need to focus more on Him and less on everything else.
When my vision is blurred because of life and sis let me tell you I get it! Like I’m in the trenches with you trying to navigate life as a daughter of Christ too…I am gently prompted and sometimes given a good swift kick in the rear by the Holy Spirit to buckle down in my faith. The discipline of my faith has to be rooted in my daily actions, has to stretch me to focus more, and has to promote a loving relationship with my Heavenly Father.
If my focus and drive to a deeper relationship with Christ is based off of shortcuts then the value of my relationship will be shallow and not meaningful. Take out your distractions and get comfortable with being uncomfortable while you work in your discipline to a long-lasting relationship with Christ.
Colossians 3:2 ESV “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Now don’t get me wrong the tips and tricks you’ll receive on how to get started with your relationship with Christ are sometimes spot on! However, it’s the sustainability of your relationship with Christ and the effort you put in that will be a game changer.
It takes discipline in relationships. You can’t just enter a relationship and expect to do no work! It takes work to see each others side, to work through differences, to not be selfish, and to give love without expectation. It’s only after you have disciplined yourself will it turn into devotion toward that person. It’s the same with Christ it takes discipline in our faith before it becomes devotion. So don’t beat yourself up or give up when it’s hard…instead double down in your discipline and know that it will eventually become second nature.
Waking up at 5am to read the word or spending an hour doing a devotion or being in a Bible study every month sounds daunting, sounds difficult. But what Christ is asking us to do is to go at our own pace, but in his direction. It’s OK to fall short. It’s OK to not feel perfect. It’s OK if you miss a day or two but what devotion in a relationship with Christ looks like is seeing our falter and getting back on track. A personal relationship with Christ is just that…it’s personal. No two relationships are the exact same and so it is with your relationship with Christ.
I want to encourage you to figure out what you really want in your relationship with Christ. What does your relationship look like? No, I don’t want you to give a “Christian” answer… I want you to be real. I want you to look into your heart and ask yourself what does my relationship with Christ look like on a daily basis? Then I want you to write down in your notes page on your phone or on a piece of paper what are a couple of areas where you can work on disciplining yourself to have a deeper more meaningful relationship with Christ?
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Here are a few that I wrote down when I was trying to build my relationship, when I was trying to really get myself grounded on who I was and what I wanted to be.
Here’s my list:
Remembering to pray
Spending quality time in prayer
Finding gratitude for what the Lord has provided me
Surrendering my timeline to Christ
Having a better attitude about the season I am in
When I look at this list I see a woman who had a specific agenda but was yearning for more. What it boiled down to was that I was looking to feel truly like a daughter of the king. The absolute most precious relationship I have here on this earth, and spiritually is with my Heavenly Father. So sister, friend…look at the state of your relationship in Christ and ask yourself are you being devoted or are you just walking through the motions?
Reach out to us and let us know what you find out and how we can help you in your walk.