God Gives First. We Respond.
Our Heavenly Father has established the universe according to His perfect order, and understanding that changes the way we see our relationship with Him. From the moment He spoke creation into existence to the way He calls us to worship and live each day, everything God does is intentional, purposeful, and filled with wisdom. Nothing about Him is random or chaotic. As 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV) reminds us, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace.” Order flows from His very nature.
The beautiful thing about our relationship with God is that He made the first move. He didn’t wait for us to deserve His love. He didn’t wait until we had cleaned up our lives or finally started making better choices. While we were still separated from Him by sin, He loved us. John 3:16 (NLT) tells us, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Out of His great mercy, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to bear our sins on the cross so that we could be forgiven, restored, and welcomed into His family. Everything begins with Him. His love reached for us long before we ever reached for Him.
Because of that, our relationship with God was never meant to be one-sided. He gives, and we respond. He calls, and we answer. He speaks through His Word, and we choose whether we will listen. He pours out His love, grace, and mercy, and we decide whether we will receive them. Love always invites a response.
The same is true of every healthy relationship God has created. A relationship isn’t truly a relationship if only one person is participating. It cannot thrive when one person gives while the other remains distant or unresponsive. In the same way, our walk with God grows as we respond to His love with faith, trust, surrender, and obedience. Not because we’re trying to earn His favor, but because we have already received the greatest gift Heaven could ever give—Jesus Christ.
Everything we have in Christ begins with what God has already done. We didn’t earn His love, and we didn’t persuade Him to choose us. Every spiritual blessing we enjoy today flows from His grace, His mercy, and His great love for us. Before we ever thought about reaching for Him, He was already reaching for us.
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) reminds us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Just think about that for a moment. The God who created the heavens and the earth calls you His workmanship. Through Jesus Christ, He has made you new and prepared a life with purpose for you to live.
God didn’t save us simply to rescue us from sin. As wonderful as that is, His desire reaches even further. He brought us into His family so we could know Him, walk with Him, and grow to become more like His Son.
Romans 8:29 tells us that God chose us to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. From the very beginning, His desire has been to form the character of Christ within us. He wants us to love as Jesus loved, forgive as Jesus forgave, trust the Father as Jesus trusted Him, and represent His Kingdom well wherever we go. This is what it means to grow as sons and daughters of God. It isn’t about becoming a better version of ourselves. It’s about allowing the life of Jesus Christ to be seen more clearly through us each day.
This is what makes Christianity different from every other religion. It isn’t built on people struggling to reach God. It begins with God reaching for us through Jesus Christ. From beginning to end, salvation is an expression of His grace. Yet the God who created us has never forced anyone to love Him.
God will never force fellowship. He invites it.
Every day He extends that invitation. He calls us to trust His Word when our feelings tell us otherwise. He calls us to follow His guidance instead of our own understanding. He asks us to surrender the places we’ve kept hidden and allow Him to work there too. Love never demands a relationship. It offers one. Our Heavenly Father lovingly knocks on the door of our hearts, but He allows us to decide whether we will open it.
Jesus Christ said in Revelation 3:20 (NKJV), “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Our Lord is remarkably gentle. He doesn’t force His way into our lives. He waits for an invitation. When we open the door, He meets us there. He communes with us through the Holy Spirit, teaches us, corrects us, comforts us, and day by day transforms us into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Faith is how we respond to what God has already done. Obedience isn’t about earning His love. It’s about trusting the One who has already proven His love for us. Every time we choose His way over our own, we are saying, “Father, I trust You more than I trust myself.”
God is faithful. He always keeps His Word. Deuteronomy 7:9 (NLT) says, “Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”
Even when we fall short, God remains faithful. His character never changes. His promises never fail. As we continue surrendering our lives to Him through Jesus Christ, we begin to experience what He has promised all along. We discover that surrender isn’t losing our freedom. It’s finding the life we were created to live in Christ. ■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“Relationship Requires A Response”, written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2026. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to encouraging and inspiring Christian Women to live boldly through God’s Word.
