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People enter relationships, and even marry for various reasons; other than the main reason of love. Most times, these relationships crumble when the reason is no more relevant. So when your aim for entering a relationship is beauty, you move on to another beauty when the current one is no more beautiful! When it is wealth, then you lose interest in the relationship when the wealth is no more; or you have had enough of it!

The entire relationship becomes one big transaction, with silent exit and termination clauses! The most tormenting relationship you can be in, is the one in which you are aware that something you have is the object of interest, and not you! It is the reason for most unstable relationships these days.

The tragedy is that, most of us are transactional with God too. Yes! We dig gold with God too! We come to God with a whole lot of expectations which overshadow and inspire everything we do. Unfortunately, we also expect God to fulfill those expectations within our own timeframe. When that fails, we go looking for solutions elsewhere!

It is not the kind of relationship God wants from us.

READ 1 John 4:16-19

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 

We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:16-19)

One characteristic of transactional relationships is fear; the fear that if we don’t continue producing and maintaining the object of affection we will be deserted!  If the object of affection is wealth, then we fear we will be dumped when we don’t make more wealth. If it is beauty, we end up with life threatening surgeries just to keep up. This compulsion to keep up can drive some to their graves!

We cannot be transactional with God. God first loved us and expects us to love Him back (vv. 19). He can provide for us, but He doesn’t want that to be the reason why we come to Him (Matthew 6:33, 1 Kings 3:4-15).

 God wants a permanent and eternal love relationship with us; and not a transient transactional one! He is all knowing, and knows our motives.

To get the best from God, we need to love Him and Bible is not silent on that.

“But as it is written, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who LOVE Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who LOVE God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Love for God is the ultimate. We miss out when we do otherwise.

MEMORY VERSE

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

QUESTIONS

1. How do you relate to God?
2. Is it a transactional relationship or a love relationship?

PRAYER TIPS

Father, please help us to love You, and let our love inspire us to serve You.

Written by:
BENNY MALM

For:
TESTIMONY DEVOTIONAL

URGENT CALL

If you don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Personal Savior, you need to do that now!

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We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission.