![Nothing’s Too Hard for God / Relationship (3.7)
Draw Near to God
Matthew 22:37-40; James 4:8
A well-known church has a motto that reads, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main
thing.” The pastor regularly leads the congregation in reciting that motto then asks, “What is the
main thing?” at which the congregation responds, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind… [and] Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37,39).
The principle is this: When our relationship with God is as it should be and our relationships
with people are as they should be, then everything else falls into place. The order is important.
Without a right relationship with God it’s unlikely our earthly relationships will be as they should.
However, when we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, loving others is a natural outflow.
This applies directly to close relationships we form with spouses or friends. Broken relationships
between people usually can be traced to a broken relationship with God. When our hearts are right
with God, everything else can change for the better.
How can we set things right between us and God? James 4:8 provides a profoundly simple
solution:
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
We can come near to God when our hearts are made right through confessing our sin and
accepting Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross. Once this spiritual foundation is formed, God will
bring the healing and restoration that is needed in our lives. This is the ultimate relationship.
Does that need to happen in your life today?
In what ways have you tried to keep “the main thing the main thing”?
How can you draw closer to God?](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/relationships7-130208195839-phpapp01/85/Relationships-7-1-320.jpg)
Relationships 7
- 1. Nothing’s Too Hard for God / Relationship (3.7) Draw Near to God Matthew 22:37-40; James 4:8 A well-known church has a motto that reads, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” The pastor regularly leads the congregation in reciting that motto then asks, “What is the main thing?” at which the congregation responds, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… [and] Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37,39). The principle is this: When our relationship with God is as it should be and our relationships with people are as they should be, then everything else falls into place. The order is important. Without a right relationship with God it’s unlikely our earthly relationships will be as they should. However, when we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, loving others is a natural outflow. This applies directly to close relationships we form with spouses or friends. Broken relationships between people usually can be traced to a broken relationship with God. When our hearts are right with God, everything else can change for the better. How can we set things right between us and God? James 4:8 provides a profoundly simple solution: Come near to God and he will come near to you. We can come near to God when our hearts are made right through confessing our sin and accepting Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross. Once this spiritual foundation is formed, God will bring the healing and restoration that is needed in our lives. This is the ultimate relationship. Does that need to happen in your life today? In what ways have you tried to keep “the main thing the main thing”? How can you draw closer to God?