Our relationship with God is like no other. It's multifaceted and magnificent. He is our father, our provider, our redeemer, our counsellor and so much more.

For some non believers, the idea of having a relationship with Him seems unusual or even impossible, but we know that it's made possible through Christ.

From calling on Him to shield us from harm as our protector, to pleading for Him to embrace us as our Father, because of the many roles that God pays in our lives, we're given countless instances to develop our bond with Him. Like all relationships, the one that we have with the Lord requires us to devote ourselves to help make it strong and successful.

Each element of our relationship with God has an influence on our interactions with His creations. When we make it a priority to express our genuine love for Him, we're also going to be loving towards other people. When we we trust in Him completely, we're also going to be less suspicious of the people He surrounds us with.

These are four of the central aspects of our relationship with God. 

Forgiveness - No relationship can function well without it. Unlike our earthly companionships, when it comes to us and God, the need for forgiveness is one sided. We are the only party in need of forgiveness and God extends it to us liberally. His willingness to welcome us back after we have sinned and in doing so distanced ourselves from Him is reflective of the extent to which He cares for us. It's our responsibility to ask for and accept God's forgiveness.

Acts 3:19 - Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Love - God is love. He showed us just how much we mean to Him when His only Son was sacrificed so that we could be saved. We can show are love for him through worship, by following His commands and by telling others about how great He is. He has invested so much in us, it's only right that we praise Him and invest our time in Him.

1 John 4:19 - We love because he first loved us.

Communication - Prayer enables us to draw closer to God. It bridges the physical gap between us and Him, and allows us to talk to Him and to listen to what He has to say to us as individuals. Because He isn't here with us in physical form, it's vital that we use prayer as part of our process of maintaining a connection with Him.

Jeremiah 33:3 - 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

Faith - God believes in us before we believe in ourselves. Even when we think that we've reached the point of no return and can't see a way back, He is waiting for us. We have to trust that what He calls us to do is in our best interests and one of the ways that we can demonstrate our faith in Him is by responding positively when He chooses us to carry out His work and use as His instruments.

Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.