I grew up with every available resource for developing a strong relationship with Christ. My childhood and teenage years were filled with vacation Bible schools, small group Bible study, and choirs. However, as with many young adults, my faith grew to no longer be a priority and I developed distaste for structure. It was just a few years ago that I eventually began to seek His face on my own. Through pursuing a close personal relationship with God I feel that he has revealed to me some pretty cool concepts that I would like to pass along to you.
I am a Survivalist Christian. I like to be prepared for time with God at any time and any place. I keep just a few tools in my spiritual preparedness kit in order to travel through my day lightly. My relationship with God is built on a foundation of two key components: prayer and the forgiveness of sin.
As long as you have Christ in your heart, scripture, and an open line of prayer — you can always grow your relationship with God. Do you have questions about scripture? It’s your lucky day! You have an open line with the Author. Ask away!
Sin sucks, and unfortunately it happens easily. Sin is much more than magical rules that you break and cool points that you lose. Sin keeps you from growing both personally and spiritually. If you feel as if your prayer line has static or as if the cord’s been cut, its most likely the result of sin, which rears its head in two forms: Big S sin and little s sin. I borrow this concept from obvious sources.
Big S sins are lifestyle sins; sins that we repeatedly commit because of habits and flawed character traits. These are sins that arise from addiction, weaknesses, and loss of control. Most of your “seven deadly sins” and Ten Commandments are contained here. These spiritual hurdles require daily attention and can mostly be overcome through prayer and God’s guidance.
Little s sins are more spontaneous. They are the sins that arise from our reactions to a spontaneous stimulus, such as telling a lie while avoiding the responsibility of the truth or an angry reaction to disappointment. When faced with adversity, humans default to what is in their hearts. If Christ, patience, and love are in our hearts, when faced with adversity, these are the things that will shine through.
The hopeful news about sin is that one of the founding beliefs of post-Crucifixion Christianity is forgiveness. Our sins are forgiven if we ask. Every time I pray, I ask God to help me reflect upon my sins; sometimes he reveals embarrassing things I’ve done, at other times he shows me that I’m winning the war against my Big S sins. Frequent forgiveness helps me keep a clear head and my prayer line open.
With clean heart and an open prayer line, I’m prepared to experience God at a moments notice. God is everywhere and I don’t want to miss Him.