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Unconditionality with our relationship with God

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 

God’s love for us is unconditional. Through our mistakes time and time again, he accepts us with open arms. Even when we reject him, he still calls us his own. But why is it when things don’t go our way, our relationship with God is the first thing that crumbles? God tells us his plans for our lives is to not harm us (Jerimiah 29:11), but do we authentically believe and live through those words? If we do hold on to these words, why does our circumstance affect the stability of our faith? 

This isn’t me trying to judge you because I’m very much guilty of this as well. Throughout this year, I pictured certain things happening for me: whether it was certain relationships, job opportunities, or certain grades, and consistently when those things didn’t go the way I wanted, I pulled away from God.  

Looking back, I can see why God didn’t give me those things. I placed them as an idol, and made my faith dependent on the tangibility of what I thought were good for me. Our devotion to God shouldn’t be based on the material value he can bring to our lives, but rather the goodness in his character that is presented to us by him. God shouldn’t be our genie where we grant for wishes, he wants intimacy with us. Yes, God blesses us and answers prayers, but not all our prayers are the will of God, and if we want our relationship with him to be unconditional, we must trust that.  

The clearest way to see if our relationship with God is unconditional is to examine our prayers. Are our prayers a conversation or a wish list? When we know the content of our prayers, we are made aware of the authenticity of our faith.  

Looking at the verse, “prayer” and “giving thanks” is not something that ends in the morning, or starts just before we go to sleep, God commands it to be the root of our lifestyle. In doubt, we should pray and give thanks, in fear, we should pray and give thanks, in joy, we should pray and give thanks. Our faith should have no circumstantial boundaries because his love for us is unconditional, so why can’t we do the same?  

 

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