Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
John 14:6 (NIV)
I used to be an Executive Assistant in a Fortune 500 company that almost every American is familiar with. Because the company is publicly traded, my boss’s name, salary, and bonuses were public knowledge. This made him fair game for anyone who had a service or sales pitch they felt sure he needed to hear.
Needless to say, my boss was a very busy man. People and business matters tugged at him throughout the day. It was my job to sort through the influx with efficiency. I prequalified people with a procedure that quickly let me know who they were and what they wanted, even if they were trying to be sneaky. Additionally, I had a method that kept them from contacting my boss a second time.
While the majority of people who called were met with this procedure that either crushed their hopes of speaking with him or, at the very least, delayed their ability to do so, three people had immediate access to him. No questions asked.
My boss was a husband and a father. If his wife or either of his children called, they were put directly through. The intimacy with which they did everyday life together gave them the right to surpass any other person/issue. Everyone else had to be qualified, but not those three.
When I think about how their intimacy afforded them simplistic access to a very guarded man, I’m reminded that we can have direct access to the One who is more powerful than all men—God.
We are qualified for immediate access to the heart of God through our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
Making what Christ did on the cross personal secures where we’ll spend eternity, and the value of that is priceless! However, you don’t get to cash that in until you draw your last breath, and there is so much more to experience between our first breath and our last.
Are there days you could really use God’s spirit of wisdom and revelation, truth and knowledge, discernment and understanding? Have there been times when you struggle to understand the redeeming aspects of life’s heartache? Do you long to experience the power that overcomes the evil of this world?
Black and white words on crinkly pages can be brought to life by cultivating a living, breathing relationship with the One who desires to come alongside you and reveal His heart to you. He holds the secrets to our deepest questions, and He would love to spend time with you revealing Himself in the unique way He has created you.
I must admit, even after an almost lifelong relationship with Christ, I sometimes struggle to understand His perspective. His silence in some of life’s toughest valleys can be incredibly hard, especially when the pain is so deep that I go silent. But I’ve leaned into Him long enough to know that His grasp on me is secure. He will hold my hand through it all, giving me rest and providing what I need even before I know to ask.
This life is temporary; we need to be preparing for eternity. So, for the here and now, remember that no matter what it looks like and no matter what it feels like He will have the last say-so. And it will be good, because He is good and He loves you with His whole being.
Now LIVE LOVED and THRIVE!
These questions are in no way a substitute for healthcare professionals or any level of professional counseling. I’m an advocate for taking care of oneself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These questions reflect my heart, NOT my profession.
This questionnaire is an opportunity to journal your thoughts and feelings. It can serve as a launching pad on which to evaluate your heart condition as you understand it. My hope is that you will take what you discover and hold it up to the Light to evaluate it against who God says you are.
- Did you know that you have direct access to the throne room because of a personal relationship with Christ?
- Do you have trouble talking directly to God? If so, why?
- Do you ever withhold a need because you don’t think it’s “big” enough to ask God for?
- What are some of the fun things you do with your family/friends that keep relationship going? Do you spend time together, talk about anything, share your concerns, respect each other’s questions, etc.? Pick up God’s love story to you, the Bible, and do those same family/friend things with God.
- God wants us to know that what matters to us, matters to Him. What matters to you that you didn’t think would matter to God? Share it with Him now. Sit quietly and journal what your five senses pick up on.
Use God’s word to take control over traumas in your life. Whenever you feel terrorized by your thoughts, take them captive by replacing them with the truth of God’s promises found in His word.
Print, then cut and carry this Scripture with you and/or post it in places where you will see it often. Ground yourself in God’s truths not Satan’s attacks. Encourage your heart and mind every time you are reminded of His great love for YOU!
Here is what God’s word says to encourage you and to give you an example of His unfailing, relentless, unending love for you:
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.—Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
When you read God’s Word, say to yourself: Accepting what Christ did on the cross gives me direct access to the throne room of God. I can walk through the doors and climb up into His lap and call Him Daddy.
Now LIVE LOVED and THRIVE!
