Personal Relationship with God

[abucs]

This thread is for Christians to discuss the importance of a personal relationship with God in their lives compared to other aspects of their religious and civil lives.

How does this personal relationship effect belief, behaviour and progression and growth of individuals and society ?

What forms does this personal relationship take and which situations enhance and retard that relationship ?

PLEASE concentrate on the positives (or negatives) of your own experience and not be tempted to criticise someones elses experience,or perceived experience, otherwise the thread goes downhill very fast.

Thanks.

 

[po18guy]

This thread is for Christians to discuss the importance of a personal relationship with God in their lives compared to other aspects of their religious and civil lives.

How does this personal relationship effect belief, behaviour and progression and growth of individuals and society ?

What forms does this personal relationship take and which situations enhance and retard that relationship ?

Thanks.

I don’t believe you can have an “impersonal” relationship with God. He gave us our lives and we answer, individually to Him. This personal relationship infers holiness, that we are “set apart”. We are obedient, which means we deny ourselves - contrary to our fallen human nature, which wants to serve self.

Personal also is our prayer life, as much more of it tends to be individual rather than communal. Personal is how we answer to God in judgment. Personal is how our sins are forgiven, and how we seek forgiveness of personal sin.

Societies benefit from this personal relationship, because it values others more highly than the self. Thus, sacrifice for a greater good tends to build a strong society. Service of self tends to degrade society.

This has a price in the private life. It can reduce one’s wealth and opportunities for advancement. It favors selflessness over achievement for self. However, it is a world view which prizes the “big picture” or the “long view”, which goes well beyond this life. Thus, from a worldly viewpoint, it may not make sense.

A few thoughts on what will become a broad topic.

Christ’s peace.

 

[Lhhs]

I don’t believe you can have an “impersonal” relationship with God.

This was my first thought . . …

 

[abucs]

Yes, good points.
I was meaning personal relationship as compared to a congregational worship relationship, or a relationship with God through the interactions in the lives of our families and friends.

All of which are important of course.

Perhaps i didn’t explain it too clearly. By personal i meant a direct and open and explicit one to one connection with God.

Hope this clears up the confusion.

How do people maintain and strengthen this aspect of their lives and what are the things which can strengthen and weaken that relationship ?

 

[po18guy]

Yes, good points.
I was meaning personal relationship as compared to a congregational worship relationship, or a relationship with God through the interactions in the lives of our families and friends.

All of which are important of course.

Perhaps i didn’t explain it too clearly. By personal i meant a direct and open and explicit one to one connection with God.

Hope this clears up the confusion.

How do people maintain and strengthen this aspect of their lives and what are the things which can strengthen and weaken that relationship ?

Ahhh! It is through prayer and gratitude to God that I have increased the depth of my relationship with Him. As a Catholic, I have the option of standard worship, or that of worshipping in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, which is Christ Himself. I am called to intercessory prayer and this is where I seem to be at home. Spending time in silence allows God to be heard above all of our petitions.

As far as gratitude is concerned, we lack it in modern society. We seem to take everything for granted. I am trying to train myself to be thankful for the small, routine occurrences of life. I pray for those whom I pass on the road, and give thanks for those times in which I have passed through potential danger safely. This occurs mostly in traffic. Being thankful each time I arrive home safely from work is something that I have allowed to slide a little, and I must return to it.

Peace be with you.