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Mary Rooney Armand
Published in Daybreak Devotions and Nighttime Prayers
avatarMary Rooney Armand3 min read  

A Relationship With God Requires Action


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“You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘Lord’, and you are right because that’s what I am. Since I, your Lord washed your feet you ought to wash each other’s feet.” -- John 13:13 (NLT)

Jesus washed the calloused, dirty feet of the disciples. This intimate gesture is extremely touching.

By doing something uncomfortable to express love, He demonstrated that a relationship with God is important, desired, and requires action.

That is exciting news…the creator of the world died so that we can live and He wants to know us.

But like any relationship, a relationship with God requires our participation.

We don’t serve an invisible, imaginary God, but a Savior waiting for us to engage in a relationship with Him.

Our first step is to ask Jesus for forgiveness and to become part of our lives. Then, He accepts us as we are and never leaves us.

However, to grow spiritually and experience an abundant life connected to Christ we must pivot our thoughts and actions.

To have a growing relationship with God we offer three things:

1.    Pride. To have a relationship with God we lay down our rights and pride. A humble heart trusts God above all. Laying down your pride in favor of God’s wisdom and guidance strengthens your faith.

“Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.”

Psalm 131:1-2 (NLT)

2.    Control. To have a relationship with God we release control and believe God knows us intimately and desires what is best for us.

“Give yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life, and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes.”

Romans 6:13b (GNT)

3.    Time. To have a relationship with God we devote time to grow closer to Christ through prayer, worship, Bible reading, service, and fellowship.

“If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer! Get rid of your sins, and leave all iniquity behind you. Then your face will brighten with innocence. You will be strong and free of fear.”

Job 11:13-15 (NLT)

You may never have the opportunity to wash someone’s feet. But expressing acceptance, forgiveness, and love toward others is the outpouring of a strong relationship with God.


Questions for Reflection:

1. Have you ever thought about what the best way is to grow your relationship with God?

2. In addition to the three things listed above what other things can you do to experience the abundant life you have in Christ?

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    Mary Rooney Armand

    Mary Rooney Armand is an Author, Speaker, and Creator of the faith-based blog ButterflyLiving.org. Mary has contributed to Woman of Noble Character, Pray with Confidence, Sunday God Meets Monday Mom, Steady On, The Brave Women Series, and other sites. Mary is the author of the Bible Study, “Identity, Understanding, and Accepting Who I Am in Christ” and the devotional “Life Changing Stories”, a collaboration with 34 authors sharing stories of God’s faithfulness. Mary leads small groups and speaks at events. She directed Kids Hope USA, a mentoring program for children, worked in marketing and sales and has led mission trips to Honduras. She is a life coach with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and an MBA. Connect with Mary on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

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