Relationships are so important. We have many and each one  requires a different set of needs and attention. The ones that are  the most important to us will be the ones we spend the most  time on. I love my husband, children, family, church family and  friends, but nothing is more important to me then my relationship  with Christ. We say that, but do we mean it? Who gets the most  of us? I am a wife, homeschool mom of five and a pastors wife,  life can be busy, but its no excuse to ignore my relationship with  Christ. When I need alone time with my husband I will do  anything I can to make that happen, even if it involves a trip to  the local market. Do we strive to make our time with Him  important like we do for those we see or don’t see everyday?  Sometimes we makes excuses, but we all have a routine and can  make Christ more important in our everyday lives. How do we do  that? Well, I’m glad you asked. 

1. “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 

    It doesn’t make for a good relationship if we only go to  someone when we want or need something. People that love us  want to know those things, but that’s not all they want to know.  When we are too busy and to talk with Christ more then when we  want something we are treating Him like a genie in a bottle.  Maybe you have even made empty promises you can’t and won’t  keep just because you are hoping the Lord may answer this  request that is so desperate for a quick answer and stressing you  out. Hello! He knows us better then we know ourselves and  knows we are not going to follow through. 

Someone put it his way: 

Daniel believed that prayer was so essential that he chose  to risk his life to lions rather than lose contact with God for even  a part of a day. We could say that he feared the Lion of Judah  more than any physical lion, To him, prayer was a life-and-death 

issue, Is it to us? How many excuses would we have made to  avoid those lions? What excuses do we make today to justify a  lack of prayer? ~Anonymous 

Keep your communication constant with the Lord. Talk to Him  out loud like He’s sitting right beside you. That’s my favorite way  to to talk to Him, it keeps my mind from getting so distracted.  Pray without ceasing! 

2. “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but  the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” Proverbs 13:4     Many people desire to have a relationship and grow,  but don’t put in the effort. Spend time getting to know who Christ  is. How do we do that? By opening His Word and getting to know  His heart. I know my husband and my children’s needs better  then anyone. I know what they want and when they want it. I  know when they are bothered even if they don’t tell me. I know  how they will respond to different life events. Whats the key  here? I KNOW them. When we spend time with people we know  them. The same with our relationship with Christ. When we  spend time with Him our heart and knowledge of Him become  more.  

3. “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence  with singing.” Psalm 100:2 

    Do you enjoy serving the ones you love? I love giving  to my family and doing special things to make their day. When  we do it out of obligation there can be bitterness and resentment.  I love surprising my husband when he comes home and have a  task from the “honey do list” done. I do it because I love him, but  it also brings such joy to my heart to see his face when he sees  it. How are ways you do or can serve the Lord? Are you doing it  with the right spirit? Are you serving Him because you have to or  because you want to? We all have different talents and ways to 

serve. Maybe it’s just through simple obedience. Find out how  you can help in your local church, reach out to some ladies in  your community and visit or find ways to be a blessing, be  attentive to needs and help fulfill them.  

I’m thankful for my relationship with Christ and I want to live “In  Him.” I want to grow and seek to know Him better then anyone. I  know best the ones I live with, which means I need to dwell with  Christ. Don’t make your relationship with Christ about yourself,  make it about Him. We always have room for improvement and  though we may know all of the steps above, there has to be  actions behind our words.  

“But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law,  which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the  LORD your God, and walk in all his ways, and to keep his  commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with  all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22: 5