Answering the question why?
(Jesus Said) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 (NIV)
Knowing why you are doing what you are doing is really important for motivation and to keep us on track. Here are five reasons to take time with God.
1. It is all about relationship.
The whole point of Jesus coming to earth, the whole point of the gospel, is to bring you back into relationship with God. Sin broke our world and our fellowship with God. But Jesus’ life death and resurrection allows us to be a part of the family of God (1 Corinthians 1:9) A relationship with anyone is built by spending time together. It is the same with our relationship with God. Our relationship with him is built by spending time with him. In spending time with him, you are fulfilling one of the primary purposes of the gospel.
2. Connecting with God allows us to receive life from God.
Or to say it in the negative – you won’t wither.
If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers…
John 15:6 (NIV)
The only way to be spiritually strong is to stay connected to Jesus. The result of not staying connect is that your spiritual life dries up. Taking time with God is the way you stay connected, and your connection is the conduit by which God pours life into you.
3. Connecting with God gives you strength in the face of temptation
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Walking in the Spirit is another way of saying, “stay connected to the vine.
Galatians 5:16 (NIV)
Walking in the Spirit is another way of saying, “stay connected to the vine.” Spiritual battles are won on a spiritual battle field. It is not about the power of your will, it is about your connection with Jesus that allows you to defeat temptation. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
4. Connecting with God allows you to grow into who God intended you to be.
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Colossians 3:9-10 (NIV)
You are called to take on your new self. You are being made into the image of God. As God is loving your are called to be loving. As God is good, you are called to be good. The only way this happens is by taking time with Jesus and having a solid connection to Jesus. There are a lot of self-help books. But if you really want to be who God has made you to be then you are going to need God’s help. That comes through connection with him.
5. Connecting with God allows you to do what God intended you to do.
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
You will notice that it is in Christ that we do these good works. That is the same language as John 15:5 with the vine and the branches. You will not accomplish all that God intends for you to accomplish without being connect to Christ.
When you realize that Jesus died so that you can have a relationship with God, and out of that relationship come life from God and strength in the face of temptation; When your grasp that your connection with God allows you to become who you were intended to become, and do what you were intended to do, then you can see the importance of connecting with Jesus. Without a strong connection with Jesus your spiritual life will wither, you will stumble in the face of temptation, you will not become who you were meant to be come, and you will not succeed in doing what you were intended to do.
You have started on this journey. It is not always an easy journey. But I want to urge you – keep going and don’t give up. Spending time with God matters.