Do you ever wonder what God was doing “out there” before He created the universe? How would you complete the following sentence stem: “before God created, He _______.”? What if you were told that before our God created anything, He related? To whom did he relate? Well according to Genesis 1:26 He proclaimed, “let us make mankind in our likeness.” Why should it matter to you that God relates before He creates? Think of it this way. Imagine someone making your very favorite dessert cake for your birthday, just the way you like it (with all your favorite toppings) and you also learned they went the extra mile in doing so? God created everything we see for our enjoyment because He knows us intimately (1 Timothy 6:17). I want to identify 6 relational traits about God (first three listed here), and I hope that several or all of them speak to the core of who you are. The beginning of each letter will spell out a special word you are familiar with (perhaps you have already guessed it).
- RELATIONSHIP. In creating mankind, God demonstrated His level of desire to have a relationship with us and His commitment to cultivating that relationship. Yes, that includes you! And to top it all off, He gave us each other because He wanted us to experience relationships within community. We were made for relationship, first with our Creator and then with others (Genesis 2:18).
- EXPECTATION. I am sure you have expectations in your relationships, regardless of those expectations being clearly communicated. God also communicated expectations for His people in the form of a covenant, outlining His commitment to us and what our response should be to Him (Exodus 19:5-6). Think of your closest relationships. What are some expectations that you have for those relationships that are normal and even right to have? I encourage you to put pen to paper here (this is good to do from time to time because some relationships need to be revisited and possibly redefined).
- LANGUAGE. Now this one may not be so obvious but ponder this for a moment. The beauty and complexity of language extends past verbal expression, including touch, facial expression, and body posture, etc. To which ones do you respond best? The chief language that God speaks (which is universally recognized and accepted) is love expressed by action (John 3:16 yep, that verse). Language! What a beautiful, wonderful, amazing gift of relating that so many of us enjoy! Just to hear someone say, “I love you” or “It’s good to see you” is just beyond description!
The last three I will reveal in the next post so please stay tuned and follow my blog at www.spaceofgracecounseling.com. In the meantime, I want to encourage you to ponder the ways our God relates to us in ways that bring meaning in what He creates, even within the scope of human failures and shortcomings. Will pick it up here next time. Blessings!!
