2013 has been anything but ideal and after a recent breakup I was doing some thinking. When we are in a relationship with another person, we desire not just affection and romantic acts, but also Time with him or her. Why? Well, time with that individual allows us the opportunity to get to know that person- to form an Intimate relationship. We become disheartened if we have to ask the object of our attention to spend time with us, for her or she should want to without being prompted. Thus, God, should not have to compete for our attention. As His children, we should want to put Him first, not merely do it out of a sense of obligation or expectation. Walking with Him daily does not just please Him but blesses us. By getting to know God, we gain a better understanding of ourselves because we are created in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). Also, since God is love, we develop a better appreciation for what true love is (for instance, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 4:18). A greater understanding of love causes our paradigm to shift from being self-centered to being God-centered. At the end of the day our summary will not be “I should have, I could have, or I would have”, but rather “God I DID the best that I could to glorify you today”. Unlike man, who is often driven by emotion, nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:31-39). Thus, with God there is never a breakup, maybe a breakdown… but that always leads to a breakthrough (Philippians 1:6)!