Scripture Reflection by Sang Sur on John 2:14-16 posted January 26, 2010 - Prayer Tents

Business Relationships with God.

Do you ever find yourself trying to make deals with God? In our business-minded society, we learn that this is normal to try to negotiate what seems best to us.

Even in our friend, college, or even church relationships, we often seek what benefits us from the relationship. Maybe we need to learn to accept people as they are and love them despite their flaws. In our modern day, fast-paced lifestyle and broken families show us that relationships are not considered important to many people. In fact, as a result of this, many people, perhaps even us, don't know how to hold and nurture our relationships.

Isn't this another reason why divorce rates are so high? Married people have not learned to build relationships, but rather to go through the motions of emotions/love. When that fades, there's no foundation of relationship to lean on. And of course, they don't see the problem within themselves and rather blame the other person. Then life goes on as if nothing happened; because we all have things to do, careers to pursue, and money to make.

Apparently, relationships are not as important as our personal goals and success. We need to admit that there are many times we want to somehow manipulate God just as we want to manipulate our relationships.

If you're a guy, and you just want to win a girl's heart (perhaps out of love/emotion), we may perform a series of events to obtain what we want. We may be seeking to find a way to do that with God. Perhaps you may perform a study of Scriptures just enough to “make” God give you what you want. How many of you have said, “I prayed about something and nothing happened, and therefore, God must not be real.” or “He must not love me.” This is why it’s so hard for even Christians nowadays to experience God—to know His love for us and His mighty power that is at work within and through us.

Christianity has become such a weak, wimpy religion, one where anyone can join nominally (80% of US claims to be a Christian today), but has no power, no difference than from those who do not believe. Divorce rates for Christians are no different than those who claim to not be Christians!

People who claim to be Christians are often sad and depressed even though Scriptures talk about “joy divine.” To the world, it may seem as if Christianity is dead, and if so, why would it interest them?

I want to share a new concept with you, if you haven't heard me talk about it—Christianity is not the religion for which Jesus came (<—I've been thinking of writing a book with this title). It's about a relationship.

With your mother or father, you would not manipulate the situation to force the parent to give in to you. Maybe since many of us are older, we may be able to pull tricks over our parents, but try to think of yourself as a little kid (like my son's age, 3 years old) and trying to pull a fast one on an adult. God doesn't want that, and of course He sees right through our hearts.

God doesn't want a business relationship with us. He wants a father-son (mother-child) relationship—where it's all out of pure love for each other where both find satisfaction.

Developing our relationship with God is how we can see the things God is doing and we can join in with Him to see and demonstrate to others His power. As we join and partner with God, we may find that God blesses us in our regular lives (see Matthew 6:33-34).

As we put all our trust in God, we can find our lives to be without worries, and therefore, joyful because we know God is in control! We have hope that He will turn all the bad for good.

So, I encourage you, develop a relationship with God. (If you're not sure how—all you have to do is let me know and I'll walk with you through it).

Couple of things for all of us to reflect on:

1. How are your people relationship skills? Do you find yourself lacking it? Let me or someone you believe can help you know, and work on it.

If you learn to build relationships with other people, you may better recognize how God wants to have a relationship with you. You will learn that it is not about what you “do,” or how you “try to do” things that causes him to reward you. He wants to give and He loves simply because you are His child. We just need to learn to accept His love and grace just as He gives it to us, and relate with Him.

2. Do you find yourself trying to make deals with God? Do you ever say, “God, if you would give me XYZ, I would do whatever for you”—that's not going to work. God sees through your “business” plans. He wants to have a relationship with you instead.

3. If you have been a Christian for a while, and believe in all the things in the Bible, but don't see His power or guidance in your life—try to think about why. It may be because you consider God to be someone who is far away to just deal with your problems and issues. You may not consider Him like a Father with whom you ought to relate to, converse with, and rely on in all of life's matters. He's seeking you to surrender all of you to Him. What are you holding back? What skills / talents / abilities do you find yourself relying on as your own strength? Maybe you need to stop making deals with God as if you have something of value that you can negotiate with God for a reward. He wants to relate with you. Instead of doing business deals with God, but let's walk with Him.