Why Having a Relationship With Christ Matters

• There is a difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Jesus .

You can know Bible verses. You can attend church. You can listen to worship music, pray when you need something, and even know the stories of the Bible. But having a relationship with Christ is deeper than simply knowing facts about Him. It is about knowing Him personally, trusting Him, talking to Him, listening for His direction, and allowing Him to change the way you live.

A relationship with Christ is not something we only need on Sundays. We need Him on the good days, the bad days, the days when we understand what is happening, and especially the days when we don't.

• Christ Meets Us in Everyday Life

  
  

• Life can be overwhelming.

There are days when everything seems to be going right, and there are days when it feels like everything is falling apart at the same time. We face financial struggles, broken relationships, disappointment, grief, loneliness, uncertainty, and situations we never expected to experience.

Having a relationship with Christ does not mean we will never experience difficult seasons. It means we do not have to walk through those seasons alone.

When you have a personal relationship with Christ, you have someone you can turn to when you don't know what to do. You can pray when you don't have the words. You can open your Bible when you need direction. You can worship when your heart is heavy. You can cry and still know that God hears you.

Jesus said:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." — Matthew 11:28 KJV

That invitation is personal.

Jesus does not simply tell us to figure life out on our own. He invites us to come to Him.

When You Don't Know What to Do

One of the greatest blessings of having a relationship with Christ is having somewhere to turn for guidance.

There will be moments when you have to make decisions and you don't know which way to go. There will be opportunities that look good but aren't necessarily good for you. There will be people who enter your life who may not belong there. There will be moments when your emotions tell you one thing while God's Word tells you something completely different.

This is why our relationship with Christ matters.

The more we spend time with Him, the more we learn His Word and understand His character. God's Word becomes a foundation that helps us recognize what aligns with Him and what does not.

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." — Proverbs 3:5–6 KJV

Sometimes God's direction will not look like what we expected. Sometimes His answer will be "wait." Sometimes it will be "no." Sometimes He will close a door we desperately wanted to remain open.

But trusting Christ means believing that His direction is better than our own understanding.

Christ Gives Strength When We Feel Weak

There are moments when you can encourage everybody else and still need encouragement yourself.

You can smile in front of people while privately asking God, "How much longer?"

You can show up for everyone else while feeling like you have nothing left to give.

That is when our relationship with Christ becomes more than words.

He becomes our source of strength.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." — Philippians 4:13 KJV

Our strength does not mean that we never become tired. It means that when our own strength runs out, we know where to go.

Sometimes the miracle is not that God immediately removes the situation. Sometimes the miracle is that He gives you the strength to keep going while you are still in it.

Faith Can Transform a Life

One of the most powerful things about faith is that God does not require us to have everything together before we come to Him.

He meets us where we are.

There are people who have experienced addiction, homelessness, heartbreak, rejection, financial hardship, broken relationships, disappointment, and seasons where they felt completely lost—and yet God met them there.

Their circumstances became part of their testimony rather than the end of their story.

That is why we should never look at someone's current situation and assume we know their future.

The person sleeping on the street still has purpose.

The mother struggling to feed her children still has purpose.

The young person who feels forgotten still has purpose.

The person who has made mistakes still has purpose.

The person who is questioning God still has purpose.

God can take broken pieces and create something beautiful.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." — 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

At Jehovah Jireh Angels, this is part of what we want people to understand. When we serve someone, we are not simply handing them food, clothing, hygiene supplies, or other necessities. We are serving a person who has value.

We want people to know that their current circumstances do not determine their worth.

Sometimes God Provides Through People

The name Jehovah Jireh means "The Lord Will Provide."

But sometimes we have to remember how God provides.

• He can provide through a job.

  
  

• He can provide through an unexpected opportunity.

  
  

• He can provide through a stranger.

  
  

• He can provide through a church.

  
  

• He can provide through a nonprofit.

  
  

• He can provide through a friend who makes a phone call at exactly the right time.

  
  

• He can provide through someone who simply says, "I see you, and I want to help."

  
  

The Bible says:

"He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again." — Proverbs 19:17 KJV**

This is one of the reasons serving others matters so much.

When we help someone who is struggling, we are putting our faith into action.

It is easy to say we love people.

It is different to show them.

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." — 1 John 3:18 KJV

Love looks like action.

Love looks like showing up.

Love looks like feeding someone who is hungry.

Love looks like helping a family with groceries when they cannot afford them.

Love looks like providing a woman with feminine hygiene products when she does not have the money to buy them.

Love looks like giving someone clean clothes.

Love looks like sitting with someone who feels alone.

Love looks like praying with someone who has lost hope.

And sometimes, love looks like simply reminding someone:

**"God has not forgotten you."**

## Where Are You in Your Relationship With Christ?

Maybe you have been walking with Christ for years.

Maybe you grew up in church.

Maybe you are just beginning to seek God.

Maybe you believe in Him but realize you have become distant.

Maybe you have questions.

Maybe you are angry with God because of something you have experienced.

Wherever you are, don't be afraid to start again.

A relationship grows through communication. We spend time with the people we love because we want to know them. The same is true with our relationship with Christ.

Spend time in His Word.

Pray not just when you need something, but because you want to know Him.

Worship Him.

Ask Him to reveal areas of your life that need to change.

Learn to listen.

Surround yourself with people who encourage your relationship with God.

And when you fall, get back up.

God is not looking for perfection. He wants your heart.

Take a Moment to Reflect

Ask yourself:

Do I know Christ, or do I only know about Him?

Do I talk to God only when I need something, or have I developed a daily relationship with Him?**

Am I allowing God's Word to guide my decisions?

What area of my life do I need to surrender to Him?

Where have I seen God provide for me?

Who can I encourage, serve, or help this week?

Your spiritual journey is personal. You do not have to compare where you are with anyone else.

Take the next step.

Pray the next prayer.

Read the next Scripture.

Trust Him one more time.

And remember that even when you cannot see what God is doing, **He is still God.**

At Jehovah Jireh Angels, we believe that **God provides and we serve.** We want to serve people not only by meeting physical needs, but by showing the love of Christ through our actions.

Because sometimes a person needs food.

Sometimes they need clothing.

Sometimes they need a place to turn.

And sometimes, they simply need someone to remind them that there is still hope.

God provides. We serve.