There are some who make the wrong assumption that being in a church is synonymous to having a personal relationship with God.
No, it's not.
A personal relationship with God is totally different from a relationship with the church, or being in a church.
Here are some differences between them.
1. A Relationship With God Is a Personal Relationship With God
Church is totally different from God. This is because a relationship with the church is a relationship with people, while a relationship with God is one with the Creator of all men.
Church is technically the same as your relationship with the members of your family. You interact with humans, talk to humans, laugh with humans, pray with humans, and cry with humans. A relationship with God isn't like that.
A relationship with God means you're communing with your Maker, talking to your Wonderful Counsellor, believing in your Saviour, trusting in your Healer, and relying on your Provider. God may not be as visible as the people in your church, but He's more authentic and is truer than any other person in your church.
2. A Relationship With God Is Not Dependent on People
Unlike human relationships that get cut, turn sour, and have endings, a relationship with God is one that stretches until eternity – it is not limited by human limitations.
Man has limitations. He changes his mind, has moods, gets tired, is not present all the time, and has a personal preference that usually changes over time. If he gets offended by your habit of eating his favourite food, he might snap and end your friendship altogether, and that's all because he didn't like what you did.
God, however, has no limits except going out of His identity as a holy, loving, just, and gracious God. He is slow to anger, and His anger lasts for but a moment (see Psalm 103:8, 30:5). He is perfectly holy and righteous, and no sin can ever stand in His presence (see Psalm 130:3).
Yet in His love and mercy, He has extended His mighty hand to us to save us through Christ, and is committed to making us righteous as we commit to follow Him in holiness (see John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 1:9). He'll never let us go no matter what (see Romans 8:31-39).
3. A Relationship With God Will Last Until Eternity
The most powerful of human relationships, marriage, still has an end. Despite the husband and the wife's desire to be with each other to love one another for eternity, the truth is that death will still part them (see 1 Corinthians 7:39).
A relationship with God, however, does not end in death.
God's love for all of us is from everlasting to everlasting (see Jeremiah 31:3). His love for us transcends time. God knew that our lives will be cut short in death, and without Him this death would be an eternal torment in the flames of hell.
In His love, however, He wants that eternity to be a joyful one in His presence.
That's why He sent His one and only begotten Son Jesus Christ, so that we could come to Him: us as His adopted children, and Him as our loving Father. (see John 3:16; 1 John 3:1)
It's Incomparable
Friends, a relationship with God is totally incomparable with any relationship we have with people. Let's all learn to love Him more than anybody else in this life.
