Difference between First & Second Hand Relationship

Do we have a first hand or second hand relationship with Christ?

What do I mean by that?

Well, is all we know about being a Christian, about Jesus; our growing walk with Him, learned through others or is it something that we learn as we pray, read and study the Scriptures ourselves?

There are countless stories in the Bible when you hear a dialogue where one person speaks of God as someone they personally know, and the other person speaks of God as a distant understanding.

Hannah was a woman in 1 Samuel who was so distressed at not having a son that she went to pray in earnest...she was approached by the priest of the time Eli, who had not been doing what he needed to as a faithful and diligent steward of the tabernacle. She cried out to God directly, she speaks of having spoken and asked of Him directly...while Eli speaks of the God of Israel; a third party.

In the Book of Jeremiah we see similar situations play out...after Jerusalem had been vanquished by the Babylonians and the set governor was assassinated, the remaining people are terrified of the repercussions and retribution of Babylon's fierce army. The people clamor and beg Jeremiah to find out from 'his' God what they should do...Jeremiah seeks out God's Counsel personally, and is given specific directions from God Himself. When Jeremiah tells the people he TRIES to have them make this a personal relationship for them and incorporates them into the relationship by saying that 'your God' has said....But instead of the people responding with 'our God' they respond by saying 'your' God back to Jeremiah. God is recognized as Jeremiah's God and not theirs. Then they refused to do what God had directed...proving they had no relationship with Him at all and if it wasn't going to be words they 'wanted' they weren't going to accept them.

Probably my single most favorite story that shows a desire for a first hand relationship is when dear ol' doubting Thomas, doesn't believe the 10 disciples that had seen Jesus Risen from the dead...In a frustrated outburst he demanded that he see the scars and touch Jesus himself!

Do we take time to pray and dialogue, with Christ personally? Have a conversation....share your heart, your concerns, your joys etc., It doesn't need to be fancy, frilly or fluffed up with all kinds of mumbo jumbo that sounds Christian....

Do we take time to read the scriptures?...It's HIS response in the conversation...as we read through scriptures there may be things that speak to our heart...to encourage us, teach us about His personality, His likes His dislikes, His manner of dealing with people, situations, and heart attitudes....His Corrections, His instructions, His pleasures, His disdain for things....

The more time we spend in these two areas, the closer and more intimately aware of WHO God is we become. That is what makes for a First hand relationship. A first Hand relationship is paramount....

It is far too easy to just sit in church or watch it on TV and feel like we have a relationship with God. Yet that is not a vibrant relationship...I think we as Americans, so soaked in a microwave society, with visual stimulus and virtual everything, seem to think that just spending an hour or so in a church service or listening to the radio or christian bands or watching some preacher on TV gives us our God fix....I'm guilty of it myself....and yet it does not satisfy the deep gnawing cry of my spirit to truly personally KNOW my God.

We all have times when life is busy, and we get side tracked...it happens. He has promised that HE will never leave or forsake us, WE unfortunately cannot make that kind of promise and keep it in our own power....we fall short all the time....We must hear the Cry of the Spirit calling us back to our first Love, recognize it and respond to it...Hear what the spirit cries...."Come"
There are several things in life that can cause our hearts to look away, and then we seek to get our God fix through second hand feeding tubes. But if we allow this to continue, if we get lazy and neglectful or just dont want to be accountable anymore for our attitudes, actions and agendas, it is deceivingly dangerous.

A second hand relationship with Jesus Christ at best a produces a false hope. Worse case scenario... it sets us up as easy prey for those with diabolical agendas, the Jim Jones' of the world....

There's a difference in having a second hand relationship or sharing with others in a first hand relationship.

In a proper first hand relationship with Christ, we pray and read, read and pray - as well as have fellowship with others. That's where most of the time we put into practice those things God is teaching us about, and wanting us to submit to Him...

Others are required to encourage, equip and engage me in a right relationship with Christ. They help to correct my faulty filter through which I might want to interpret God to satisfy and justify my own error...it becomes a safeguard of multiple counselors encouraging me forward into Christ - BUT it is never to become my soul or sole source of the relationship.

We learn from others. As I listen to a speaker or preacher I gain so much because they are showing me an aspect I didn't see, a slightly different perspective of God's Character that I had not come to know...

I've played a game called Boggle for years...its a fun game where you try to find 3, 4 & 5 letter words through a grid of 5x5 letter cubes....as everyone is searching for words in the grid, after a while you get stuck and can't see any more...until someone says "can I spin the board of letters?" as they do, WOW - a whole bunch of other words come into view....the same holds true when Others tell me of their relationship, their understanding, their gleaning of the Spirit. As someone else shares their encounters with God, we rejoice with them, learn with them and grow with them.

We are made richer by what every joint supplies.....






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