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A Closer Relationship with God
by: Kim Avery
In the old TV series Get Smart, secret agent Max and his boss, Chief would often retreat into the “Cone of Silence” to have their top level meetings. Each man would have a seat and a clear Plexiglas cone would descend. The point, of course, was to shield their communication from the rest of the listening world. The reality was that it was impossible to talk to one another when separated by a clear but thick shield. By the end of each episode, the audience was laughing hysterically as the secret meeting degraded into a loud shouting match.
Sin Blocks Love
Our relationships with one another are no different. When there is nothing between my husband and myself we get along great. Each shared moment of laughter and each tear shed together brings us closer. But when I offend him, sin against him, don’t consider him, or neglect him, it’s as if a thick but invisible shield comes between us. We may not see it but our communication is forced, stilted, uncomfortable and we drift further and further apart.
As a child of the living God my relationship with Him is much the same. When there is nothing between us, we talk, laugh, cry, share and each interaction brings us closer and closer. But when I offend Him, sin against Him, don’t consider His will, or just neglect Him, an invisible but very real block seems to come up between us. God explains it this way:
The LORD hasn’t lost his powerful strength; he can still hear and answer prayers. Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That’s why he doesn’t answer your prayers or let you see his face. Isaiah 59:1-2 (CEV)
The Cover-Up
Whether with God or with others, the strained relationship hurts, but strangely enough, instead of repairing it we often take it from bad to worse. Embarrassed and shamed, we ignore our offense, pretend it never happened and quickly move on to whatever is next. But that pile of past sin isn’t really out of sight or out of mind. It just gets bigger and bigger. Before long the whole relationship has changed as everyone moves and adjusts and tries to live around the growing mountain that exists in the midst of the relationship.
When a mountain of un-confessed sin grows between my husband and me, we are still married but the relationship suffers. And when I ignore my offenses against God, vainly hoping He didn’t see them, I am still His child but the relationship is not the same. Hiding from our sin in an invisible cone of silence blocking our relationship with God.
Close Again
But there is another way, a better way, to build strong and love drenched relationships. We don’t have to pay an astronomical price, walk on nails, or find a way to undo what we have done. All God asks is two things. Repent and return.
But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away I John 1:9 (CEV).
Stop sweeping your wrongdoings under the proverbial rug. It will only hurt you in the long run. Repent, return, and watch your sweet fellowship with the Lord be restored.
Learn more about “A Closer Relationship With God”
- Discover stumbling blocks in your relationship with God
- Lose the weight of guilt that hinders you every day
- Experience emotional freedom like you never have before
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Other Great Articles You May Enjoy:
A Closer Relationship with God
Christian Relationships
Christian Boundaries
Forgiveness Will Set You Free
Christian Confrontation
