A LASTING COVENANT

How is your relationship with God? Who is He to you? What does it mean to be in constant communion with Him? Out of all the names He has and all the names we give, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, Omnipotent Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Friend, do you make time to honor each one? Do you go to Him as a child, innocent, in need, and trusting? Do you go to Him as a servant, willing, humble, and appreciative? Do you go to Him in love with who He is? 

Faith Sharing on October 18th was reflective, intimate, dimly lit, and if you haven’t guessed, on the nature of relationships. From our relationship with God to our relationship with each other, we discussed the importance of building a strong and secure foundation and putting in the work from the ground up.

On the surface, the recipe is “simple.” In the same way that we trust our closest loved ones, we are called to trust and love the Lord. As we meet each other in the middle, as we spend time with others, as we become vulnerable and share the deepest parts of ourselves, we are called to turn to Him in prayer and thanksgiving for the good, the bad, the ugly, the unknown. It is here we find true peace. It is here we develop the best version of ourselves.

While it can be hard to nourish a relationship with God, as we cannot see Him physically, we can work toward having a healthy bond by embracing who we are. Our key to unlocking loving God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds begins by understanding that our identity is rooted deeply in being His children. He desires our free spirit, He desires our unwavering belief, He desires our profound admiration. Though we will never be perfect, we can live a fulfilling life that could only come from being centered in Him first. Nurturing this understanding will allow us to give the love received from Him, in a pure way, back to others. And the love we receive from others, back to God.

Understanding who we are as God’s children, however, is only the first step in developing wholesome, Godly unions. We must additionally work to develop qualities of affection and empathy, honesty and integrity, respect and independence, openness and maturity, and a sense of humor. This growth of self will enable and empower us in all our deeds, and leaning in on the sacraments, turning away from our nature as sinners, will allow us to inherit the grace that God has for us. “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

When we reflect on how we already embody these traits with people we love, and when we reflect on how we don't, we can dive into action, turn to God in prayer, and be the ideal children and partners that God calls us to be.

In close, if we want to feel capable of loving and secure in our relationships, we must strive to fill our cups with the good that can be found living in us.

A lasting covenant awaits! Which quality will you focus on developing today?