This book has helped me to see things in such a different way. I’ve heard many of these concepts and teachings since I was a child but I have never looked at them from the perspective that I now am.
I had to read these few sections more than once to fully grasp what they were saying, and I’m sure I will need to revisit them again in order to understand the deeper truth. I was reading the words but they were not sinking in as much as I would have hoped they would. Like I said it took a few times; but after reading and rereading it began to sink in. Let me explain why these concepts were difficult to grasp. In my eyes God is powerful, he is masculine, honestly the image I have of my God is far from feminine. I always understood that man bore the image of God, that man was created in his image. In my eyes “man” stood for the literal meaning of man, a male. I suppose that I never dug deeper to use the term “man” as a general meaning, man and woman. I never stopped to see my womanly traits and attributes as coming from God.
God is relational. So are we.
God has a heart for romance. So do we.
God has a desire for intimate relationships. So do we.
God longs to love us. We long to love.
God longs to be loved. We long to be loved.
It’s time that we embrace the heart God placed in each and every woman. A heart that is created in the image of Gods heart.
As John and Stasi say several times, we are relational beings. I know that I define myself by my relationships. Good or bad. Whether it is my husband being happy or upset with me. My children thinking that I am a wonderful mom or them thinking that I am mean because I had them go to bed early one night. It can also be the lack of a relationship by which we define ourselves.
Who is the most in-tune person that we know? God. We were designed in his image, this is why we are so in-tune with the relationships we keep. It’s not a weakness as I once thought. It is another part of our heart that is created after Gods.
Gods heart. Eves heart. Our heart.
There is one relationship that should be held higher than any other.
How easily do we get wrapped up in life and forget that God’s desire is to have a relationship with us. How easily do we become so caught up in pursuing other relationships that we place our relationship with God on the back-burner. I know it’s time for me to place my relationship with God in the place He deserves. First.
Let’s Pray:
Father, thank You for creating our heart in your image. Thank You for creating us to be incredibly in tune with the relations we develop. Help us to see the strength in our hearts. Please help us to remember that our relationship with You is our first priority. You want to love us and You want to be loved by us. You want the number one place in our lives. Lord, You gave us a heart to know You and that is our true desire. Continue to teach us and to grow us Lord. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
Your Assignment:
These sections reminded me that God created our hearts to seek Him. What is one thing you can do this week to place your relationship with God in the number one place?
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About Tonya Ellison
thank you, tonya, for sharing your heart with us! the thing i will do is to continue to give Him the first part of my day. my first thoughts will be directed to Him. purposefully and intentionally…'cause, of course, it doesn't just happen. by His grace and with His help, i will seek Him first. <3
I can feel the difference in my day when I haven't given Him my first. It doesn't happen every day but like you said His grace gets me through.
God is relational. So are we.
God has a heart for romance. So do we.
God has a desire for intimate relationships. So do we.
God longs to love us. We long to love.
God longs to be loved. We long to be loved.
LOVE this!!!
Thank you! I never truly looked at the similarities before.
I never thought of my feminine heart as something that reflects God. Learning that God created us this way and we are created in His image, really makes me see my feminine heart as a strength, instead of a weakness. Great blog post!
I think we need to remind ourselves more often that our hearts are a strength of ours. Nothing created in His image is a weakness. <3
Beautiful post, Tonya! Thank you for reminding me of what my #1 priority should be now and forever. I think one thing I can do is just set aside one night after work (when I would typically see a friend) and just spend time with God. God's night. Make it His. 🙂
Thank you! That sounds like a great idea. We need to what works for us and we need God outside of church too. 🙂
Definitely! Once a week is never enough. That's more of an "acquaintance" than a relationship.
i think that if someone's only contact with God is at church then they do NOT have a relationship with Him <3