Whoever believes in me [Jesus], as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. John 7:38 ESV

By: Scott Schuler

I got down on my knees, looking my ten-year old daughter in the eye, “Do you understand what I’m saying, Allyson?” Tears filled her eyes as she nodded. I released her hands and she went about cleaning her room, as I’d asked her to do the first time.

When I was 55, I became the dad of two school-aged children. Not having children of my own before I met and married Lory, learning to communicate with Matthew and Allyson has presented some extraordinary lessons. It reminds me of the way we learn in our relationship with God.

Do you know God desires a relationship with you?

And in any healthy relationship, communication is vital. Before we can grasp how God communicates with us, we must first understand our connection to God.

Our link to God is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit resides within us, communicating guidance, warnings and insight. Think of this connection as an umbilical cord from mother to unborn child. Through a healthy umbilical cord, the child receives life-sustaining nutrients and oxygen. In a physical sense, it embodies the mother’s love for the child. Without this vital attachment, the child would die.

Without the spirit connection—our spiritual umbilical cord—we cannot experience eternal life with God.

Through our salvation and faith, the Holy Spirit connects to our spirit. We cannot know the love of our heavenly Father and Creator if we’re not spiritually joined with Him. But does this bond mean we stop struggling with sin?

Some may think, as I first did, believing in Jesus makes our heart right with Him immediately. Not true. When we confess our sins and accept Jesus as savior, our spirit connection to God is instantly restored. But our spiritual heart undergoes a transformation process. God begins to align our heart with His. He changes every part of our being, calibrating our will with His. The Bible refers to this transformation as sanctification:

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 ESV

The definition of sanctification is “set apart or proclaim holy; being freed from sin – to purify.”

In our walk with Jesus, the Holy Spirit separates us from sin and the habits, ways, and thoughts that kept us on the destructive wide path (Matthew 7:13).

Learning to interact with our children in a meaningful way is continual work, but remains a crucial priority for our relationship to grow. Learning how God communicates with us is just as vital to our relationship with Him. He continually frees us from sin’s bondage and sanctifies us to align our hearts and path with His.

What is separating you from faithfully walking with Jesus? Are you battling addictions, sins, or habits? Confess them and ask for the Holy Spirit’s revelation to purify you from the root of these sins.

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