If we think about relationships, do you think it’s possible to have a successful relationship without having any standards? Maybe in a romantic relationship, you want to be with someone who lives a certain lifestyle that matches yours. Maybe in a friendship, you make an effort to keep friends who are positive and encouraging instead of gossipy or cynical.
Even if we don’t want to admit it, we all have standards and expectations for our relationships. And we should. Having standards is a way of ensuring you can trust the other person while also protecting your own heart. But let’s also think about when you have clear or set standards in a relationship, but the other party constantly breaks or ignores them. How would you react? Even when you sincerely love a person, you set standards that you hold them to and usually they do the same for us. For any of us who say we’re in a relationship with God, should we expect God to be any different?
God Has Standards??
When we look at how God views His relationship with His people, we can see that He compares Himself to being a husband to them.
“It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 31:32
However, in this verse we can also see the actions of God’s people. They broke the covenant God had established with them. Would anyone want to remain in a relationship or friendship with someone after being betrayed? Despite wanting to be with that person, it would probably be very difficult to trust them in the same way. God has also experienced His people turning their backs and drifting away from Him. This betrayal has caused him great pain (Genesis 6:6). With this in mind, we can understand why God would have standards for His people. But actually knowing what those standards are is a slightly different story.
The Key to a Healthy Relationship
If we think back on our own past or current relationships with others, what are some of the key components necessary for making that relationship last? Whether a friendship or a romantic relationship, how long would it last if the other person knew nothing about you? Maybe at the beginning you could forgive a bit of ignorance here and there. But as the relationship progresses wouldn’t you expect them to put effort into knowing and understanding you on a deeper level?
Imagine if your partner always took you to a cheesecake restaurant even though you were lactose intolerant. Or every gift they bought you was pink even though that is your least favorite color. Would you continue to believe that they actually cared about and loved you? I know I personally would start to have some doubts at some point if my partner never took the time, or cared enough, to truly get to know me.
God has also experienced this. In the past, His people worshiped him in the way that they thought best. They made many sacrifices and held festivals for God. However, rather than being pleased, God found these things burdensome because it was not what He actually desired (Isaiah 1:11-15). What then does God desire from His people? We can find a clear answer in Hosea 6:6 where God says,
“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Knowing and Understanding
To put it simply, God wants us to know Him and understand His heart. In the same book, God clearly states that His people are destroyed because of their lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). So we need to have a true understanding of God through His word.
In addition, since God is holy, one of the standards that His people must achieve is being holy and righteous in order to be with Him (Leviticus 11:45). Sin and holiness cannot coexist together. So if we want to have a relationship with God, holy is something we must become. When first hearing it, this may sound like a nearly impossible task. However, God has provided us a way to achieve this through Jesus. He sent His son to shed his blood for the atonement of our sins (John 1:29).
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
Effort to be Better
While God has given us Jesus to atone our sins, this doesn’t mean that we can get by without doing anything ourselves. Since God wants us to be holy, we should understand how to do this. He may have called us and sent Jesus to die for us when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8), but that doesn’t mean He wants us to stay the same as we’ve always been. Just like in a relationship, couples often say that the other person helped them become the best version of themselves. God wants the same for us too. In order to become sanctified and cleansed, we must know and understand God’s Word.
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
John 17:17
Am I Meeting God’s Standards?
So, in a sense, the standards that God has go hand in hand. We must know what God desires, which we can find in the Word. By knowing and understanding His Word, it naturally changes us and helps us become more righteous. As with all relationships, there might be times when we make mistakes or don’t fully understand what the other wants. However, it’s about making an effort and changing to become the best version of yourself and to match the standards of the person you love. This is how you can show your sincere heart on a physical level. So how much more should we do this for God?
We know that God is loving and desires to be with His people. However, throughout history, they have turned their backs on Him numerous times and broke the covenant (Hosea 6:7). So, the big question we should always ask ourselves is “am I making an effort to know and meet God’s standards?” And in doing that, we’re showing that we genuinely love and care about God.
Written by Lily
You can read more about what God wants from us as believers in these posts!
Playing Hide and Seek with God
Music to God’s Ears: How to Pray a Prayer that Pleases God
Make sure to follow us on Instagram for daily verses, prayers and encouragement!
Subscribe to As It Is in Heaven!
If you’d like to stay up to date on our newest posts, make sure to subscribe below!