Relationship with Christ

Concerning your personal relationship with Christ, do you consider yourself simply one among the many? Or is your attitude one of “He died for me! ‘I am my Beloved’s and He is mine.’ He loves me.”

Well, you are part of the whole, but you are also unique, special, a “one of a kind.” Would it be wrong, then, to think of yourself as the bride of Christ? Of course not! Jesus did not come to indwell the church; He came to indwell the individual, the believer. He came to indwell you (1 John 4:15). Yes, you were created to be part of a whole, and, yes, your husband was designed to be the other half of that whole. This is the ideal in marriage, but, more often than not, the ideal is far from the norm.

My dear one, please listen. The physical arms of Jesus are not there to hold you. You are limited in your ability to see Him, to touch Him, to hear Him—but He is there, and your relationship with Him will only be as real as you allow it to be. Throughout Scripture, we are reminded to:

• “stay our minds on Him” (Isaiah 26:3).

• “abide in [Christ]” ( John 15:4).

• “set [our] minds on things above” (Colossians 3:2).

• “dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Through setting your mind on who you are in Christ— you’ll realize—

• His unconditional love for you

• His constant presence with you

• Your noble calling as His bride

• His promises of love and encouragement

• His thoughtfulness

• His tenderness

• His complete commitment to you

You will begin to experience His intimate love in your life. Jesus longs for our relationship with Him to be intimate and personal, a husband/wife relationship. Isaiah wrote, “For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the LORD of hosts” (54:5).

- Anabel Gillham