Other than my relationship with God, the most valuable relationship I have is my relationship with my husband. We have been married over a decade and I have learned so much about my weaknesses and how much effort it takes to make a marriage work.   I am no expert and the lessons I have learned are numerous, but perhaps the most valuable one I have learned is that relationships, real relationships, take work. It takes effort and intention to make our marital relationship strong and remain healthy. At the very beginning of our relationship we had a D.T.R. I’m sure I’m making myself seem old. Do people still use that term? It stands for Define the Relationship. We talked and essentially told each other that we were looking at our relationship as not just a friendship anymore, but as potentially a future spouse. Basically, he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes. My heart flutters now to think about it. While there were many, many other important conversations in our relationship, this one was a milestone. We were being intentional about our relationship. We defined it as a “relationship.”  As I think about how we can grow in our relationship with God, I am thinking about this: to grow in our relationship with God we need to be intentional about spiritual growth.

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” Philippians 3:12

I’m a list lover. You know the type, the girl who writes a list after she completes all the tasks just so I can check them off. In order to make a decision I make a list of pros and cons. To pack for church camp I make a list of all the items I will need. I buy special lined post it notes so that I can write lists on them.

So, today I thought I’d share a list of potential ways to be intentional about growing in your relationship with Christ. I am sure there are many other ways to be intentional, but my personal relationship with Christ has benefited by the following five things:

Professing my Faith in Christ                                                                                                

There was a point in my childhood that I told God and my church family that I believed Jesus  was my savior.

Practicing Multiple Spiritual Disciplines                                                                

-Prayer: When I pray I am having a direct communication with God and that is source of  continual growth in my relationship with him.                                                                                

-Bible Study: The Bible reveals truths to me that are imperative to my life and decisions I make,  encouraging me in my faith, and challenging me to grow.                                                  

-Meditation: Making an effort to be still and dwell on an attribute of God or a truth from scripture  has helped me to truly experience who God is and how much he loves his people.

Participating in the Body of Christ                                                                                    

-Worshiping Together: Regularly gathering with a body of believers has provided a habit of   intentional growth where I worship God with fellow believers and I am challenged to keep   imitating Christ in my life.                                                                                                        

-Serving: At my church I serve because I am called by God to help others who are in need  spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Make Disciples                                                                                                                          

One of the last things Jesus said while on earth was to make disciples. The process of sharing  my faith and helping others grow has helped me to grow deeper with God.

Suffering                                                                                                                                 

During periods of my life I have suffered pain and loss and while these seasons of life were not   fun, they caused me to grow.

Being intentional about my relationship with God through these five things, and others, I am striving to KNOW him. What are some ways you are intentional about growing in your relationship with God? I’d love for you to comment below!

My prayer:

Father, I am blown away by your goodness and the depth of your love for me. God, help me never be ok with letting our relationship be stagnant. Be present in my life in such a way that I never stop responding to you. Help me to resist distractions and temptations to walk away from our relationship. Increase my love for you and make yourself known to me. I want to grow and not stay the same in my relationship with you.

Amy