For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD,
THAT HE SHOULD INSTRUCT HIM?
But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16
“I desire to be close to God, but why can’t I stay consistent on a path to a deeper relationship with Him? Why do I get side-tracked?” These heart-felt questions required an honest response—and even more importantly—a carefully thought-through one revolving around my own personal walk with God.
While I was thinking, I ran across a quote in an old journal simply called Walls by Richard A. McCray: For when love dies, it is not in a moment of angry battle, nor when fiery bodies lose their heat. It lies panting, exhausted, expiring at the bottom of a wall it could not scale.
Yes, I have been there—panting, exhausted, expiring—realizing that my love, however unselfish and sacrificial wasn’t enough. I remember asking God for greater wisdom and He pointed me back to Jesus. I thought about the way Jesus related to people—how He modeled acceptance and joy in never-ending supply.
So why does love die? And what does that have to do with my relationship with Jesus? Climbing the impossible wall of perfection—measured by performance and hard work—is not what Jesus wants from me. When I picture Jesus turning His gaze toward me, His eyes reveal deep pools of warmth, tenderness and compassion and I relax into a safe relationship which neither demands nor manipulates.
How can I have a deeper relationship with God? By grounding myself in His Word and cultivating the mind of Christ—what He knows, what He feels, what He wants, what He enjoys, what He desires, what He loves, what He hates. As I roll with the ebb and flow of my life—sometimes moving gracefully and sometimes thrashing about—I grow even closer to Him through it all because He infiltrates my mind and I am consumed—with Him.