Who God Is

WHO GOD IS

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But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

It’s always been quite fascinating to me to discover the many facets of our God. He promises that the more we seek Him, the more we will discover who He is. The beauty and benefit of being in relationship with our Creator is that the more we get to know His character, the more we understand His greatness.

His love knows no bounds. His grace is more than enough. His power is limitless.

On the contrary, our capacity is quite limited. In fact, mine is especially limited when it comes to relating to others. Don’t get me wrong. I love people, but it’s not possible for me to meet each of their needs. While I want to be there to help with every problem that arises, I simply can’t.

God is all-knowing.

Because we all have a smorgasbord of personality types and love languages, relating to others isn’t always easy. Truth is, sometimes I have zero idea how to properly communicate with my loved ones. At times, I can’t seem “get through” to my mom, verbalize my needs to my spouse, or relate to a friend going through a difficult season. The amazing thing is that even when we aren’t able, God is. He knows each person fully, completely, and intimately. He knows exactly what we need. When we surrender and humbly admit our shortcomings to God, He blesses us with His wisdom. We can trust Him because He knows all- even if we don’t.

God is all-present.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could be in multiple places at one time? I mean, I want to be available for my friends and family all the time. My desire is to help all those who suffer. I want to protect my children from every pain and danger. While I can’t, God can. And God not only can- He IS. He is able to minister to anyone, at any time, no matter the circumstance. With this knowledge, we can enter into His rest. We can trust Him because He is always present- even when we aren’t.

God is all-powerful.

God is mighty. He is the constant, steady, strong rock in our lives. We can lean on Him in our time of need. He will not move or grow weary. His strength is not limited. He can be trusted to be sturdy when we, or those we love, are hurting. We can run to Him in every storm. We can trust Him because He is all-powerful- even though we aren’t.

So, practically, how do we use this knowledge of God to help us in our relationships?

Pray.

Don’t wait to pray. When a friend says they need prayer for an upcoming test, stop and pray with them immediately; when your child is hurt by a classmate at school, pray over them; when your spouse is frustrated with work, pray together. Why? Because prayer works. Last year, I had a friend who encouraged someone through text for an entire week. Then she went on vacation and was unable to continue sending encouraging texts. Concerned for the friend who “needed” her, she held her up in prayer instead. Upon returning home, her friend was completely different! Through prayer, her friend’s entire mindset and situation shifted. The change occurred as her friend relied fully on God and NOT on someone else!

Read the Word.

When you see someone in need, find scriptures that speak to their situation and send the Word to them. Read the Word together if you can. God’s Word is life-giving and life changing! When my friend was dealing with health issues, I searched for scriptures to send her. While I wasn’t able to take away her pain, I was able to share healing verses and encourage her to hold on to God’s promises. Two weeks later, she was healed! And our friendship grew even stronger.

Serve one another in love.

Oh this one! We know God’s power is limitless. Yet by 5:00 PM (okay fine, some days 2:00 PM) my energy is zapped, and I don’t feel like serving anyone. I’d much rather sit down with a hot cup of coffee than serve anyone- even those I love the most. True love, however, is not moved by whether or not we feel like serving. Jesus taught that one of the greatest acts of love is servanthood, and Jesus didn’t serve others grudgingly either. He gave of Himself with a good attitude. When we serve others with joy, it brings God honor and draws people into the same type of relationship. We can give this kind of love because of Christ’s extravagant love for us.

The best way to learn God’s character is to begin seeking Him, and when we seek Him together in our relationships, the benefits are even greater. By placing Him first, God will interject health and cause them to flourish!