Feeling close to Jesus is easy when He answers our prayers or on Sundays. However, to have a strong relationship, you can’t tend to it when you feel like it or every once in a while. So how do we get closer to Jesus and sustain the relationship in the in-between times?
It’s easy to form Christ the way we want and then say we’re His follower. We live in a world where it’s easy to transition from saying “I love Jesus” to saying anything else you love without skipping a beat. However, the reality of loving Jesus is more demanding than only saying we love Him. We need to live a life and have a heart that shows love for Jesus.
Prayer.
Our earthly relationships develop and grow through communicating, and our relationship with Jesus grows similarly. Through praying, we can articulate our concerns while also giving thanks. Beginning and ending your day by talking to Jesus is an excellent way to rely on Him and strengthen your faith.
Reading your Bible.
If someone you love wrote you an email or letter, would you set aside time to read it? We were given the Bible to learn and know Jesus more. Some people describe the Bible as His love letter to us. When we set aside time to read His word, we’ll know who Jesus is and who we are.
Worship.
Whether you’re cleaning the house or in the car on your way to work, listening to gospel music can be an excellent way to center your heart on Jesus. You don’t have to sing the worship songs aloud if you don’t want to. Instead, let your mind and spirit reflect on the words being sung and praise Jesus.
Respect His commandments.
People that love Jesus have a profound respect for all of His commands. They have great respect and love for His tabernacles, described in Psalm 84:1. We wouldn’t want to show distaste toward ministers who want to keep Christ’s ordinances whole and pure. If they genuinely loved Christ, they would have the utmost respect for Him and hate all the wicked ways. They would adore the saints, the ones in whom is all His delight, as explained in Psalm 16:2. There’s little love for Christ when there’s little sympathy and love for each other.
Reflection.
Life is loud and never seems to stop. Even when we take the time to read our Bible, pray, and listen to gospel music, we can still miss the quiet ways God tries to speak to us. Taking time to reflect and slow down intentionally is essential for growing your relationship with Jesus and showing your devotion.
Serving others.
Perhaps the best way to tangibly show your devotion to Jesus is to serve others. It’s simple to make our faith about “me and Jesus.” Still, Jesus tells us to love Him and others. When we serve those around us, we act as Jesus’ hands and feet in the world and become more like Him in the process. As we walk with Jesus, His love will overflow out of us and into the lives of the people around us. Jesus’ life on earth focused on serving those in need, so we show Jesus that we desire to be like Him when we do for others.
Talk about Jesus.
People who love Jesus and are devoted to Him will talk about Him. Still, so many people rarely discuss Him. They speak about religious matters and religion, but they hardly talk about Jesus. Instead, they chose to discuss other men’s failings and faults. Sadly, there are numerous failings and weaknesses to discuss. Still, we shouldn’t spend our free time talking about such matters. When we come together, we shouldn’t let our discussions on controversies overcrowd our talks about Jesus and our love for Him. Don’t let Jesus’ worth and excellence go down within these discussions.
There are lots of people who will look down if someone asks them about Jesus amongst mixed company. They’ll likely change the subject to get the topic of Jesus out of everyone’s hearts and heads. However, if someone brings up an issue of divisions of the time, they’ll keep talking about it without letting the conversation die. However, a person who knows Christ and is one with Him can’t stay too long among company without talking about Jesus. Talking about Jesus and the things He’s done for you may inspire those who don’t know Him to seek Him out.
Bring others to Him.
People who love Jesus will try their best to bring others to Him. Song of Solomon 3:4 says the spouse who sought Christ found Him, held onto Him, and wouldn’t let go. Then, in verse 11, she encourages others to seek Him and behold Him crowned. She met Christ and loved Him so much that she invited her friends to look for Him and marvel at His crown.
Bringing others to Jesus shows your devotion to Him because it shows that you know others will benefit from a relationship with Him. He’s done so much for you, and you love Him so that you want Him to improve the lives of your friends and loved ones. Remember to try not to force Jesus on your friends and family. Instead, share what He’s done for you and let them decide for themselves. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.
The world doesn’t value humbleness; instead, it avoids it as much as possible. However, Christ humbled Himself when He came to earth to live life like us, giving up what was rightfully His. Nothing is more beautiful than someone on top, shining brightly for Jesus because they were willing to start at the bottom. Those who let God exalt them instead of promoting themselves are the ones who see Christ.
It’s easy to show devotion to God when He answers our prayers or while we’re in church. However, the genuine commitment comes when He hasn’t responded to our prayers yet or when we don’t get everything we want. Jesus gave up everything for us, so the least we could do is show our devotion to Him in any way possible.
