Complicating Relationships with God

 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."Revelation 3:20

Today I woke up and did my normal routine: hit snooze 3 times, read my daily scripture, checked my social media.The verse I'm posting on today popped out at me because I've done a lot of talking recently about what it means to be in relationship with God. My review of my Facebook feed made me want to write more because of seeing folks use intense religious language inappropriately. The specifics aren't important but I witnessed someone make a request to be excluded from something and a popular Bible verse and rebuke being hurled at them in response.Aside from thinking that was incredibly inappropriate it made me think of something else. How did this response invite this person into deeper relationship with God?I have no clue of the religious or spiritual background of the person who was insulted though the insulter identifies as a charismatic Christian. What I do know is that many interactions with people and Christians fail to get tempered with the profound love believers in Christ are called to exhibit. Love is your identifier as a Christian; it is how others see you are one who belongs to Jesus because you reflect his character (see John 13:34-35)How does this all tie back to the focus verse? That's easy...as a Christian your interactions with others plays into Jesus knocking. Your words and what you choose to exhibit have an impact on how people, regardless of their faith, perceive God. You can either choose to act in such a way that you clear the way for Jesus to access that door by looking like him, acting with grace and mercy, and choosing to be one whose words bring life or you can do the opposite. There are many who speak in a way where not only they words they offer create barriers outside the door of someone's heart - they speak with such violence that folks fortify the doors of their hearts from them inside. The role you take on has an effect on people's relationship with God but your actions will determine if that is to the positive or negative.Maybe you've never considered this before and that's ok. Sometimes we aren't taught certain things in our walks as Christians. This is why I and many others share what's on our hearts in spaces like this; it's to challenge or bring new things to light for someone who needs it.So which role will you play, that of the path clearer/healer or that of the obstacle builder?