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Guest Columnist:
Anna Symonds
 Anna Symonds enjoys life a lot more since seeing that God created her with a worthwhile and significant purpose. She's still discovering more about God, about becoming the woman she has been designed to be and living the life that has been waiting for her to live.
She is the author of Becoming You: Becoming __________, a book that every woman should read if they want to unearth their purpose in life. In her book, Anna motivates women to discover who they are and how they can truly make their stay on this earth count for something. She leads us through a path of discovery on which she looks to God for the answers, and guides us to do the same.
She's with us this month to share an excerpt from her book, Becoming You.
Visit her website: AnnaSymonds.com
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Becoming You
Anna Symonds ,
April 2008
God has lots of good plans for our lives but did you know that the main desire He has for you is that you’ll have an amazing, fulfilling relationship with Jesus?
It says in the Bible that by God you have been called into COMPANIONSHIP… with His Son. (1Corinthians 1:9 AMP)
Called to know Him and enjoy His love, to love Him back and share your deepest being with Him. Jesus sees you in the crowd of billions who live on this Earth and He says: “Join me!” No exam, interview or CV necessary. You qualified when He laid down His life.
When it comes to advice about how to develop this relationship with Jesus, the answers always seem to be the same: “Read the Bible”, “Pray”, “Spend time with Him,” leaving me, at least, feeling unsure exactly what I’m supposed to do.
Do you ever hear people say that they’ve had an amazing prayer time, or that God has just spoken to them, and wonder what it’s actually like for that person, how it happens?
Do you think of all the “I cant’s?”—“I can’t hear from Jesus like that.” “I don’t know how to spend time with Him.” “I can’t see how I can fit it all into my busy, busy life.”
An idea has got around that developing this relationship with Jesus is the hardest, most complicated thing, and that it’s only possible for some super spiritual people. It can seem as if there are some women who are marked out to be spiritual high flyers—the ones at the top of the God class. Certain people who get it. The ones God speaks to. The ones who can hear Him. The ones who do worship the right way. Who pray the right way. Who people look up to as being better at having a relationship with Jesus than everybody else.
But that’s total rubbish!
The truth about having a relationship with Jesus, is that it’s what we’ve all been made to do—there’s actually nothing more natural. So I want to encourage you to relax about it! Whoever you are, whatever you’ve done, it’s time to expect to have a great relationship with Jesus. You have been made to hear Him speak and to enjoy His company all day, every day—right now. Not in a few years time after intense theological training.
So especially for Christian Women Online, here are a couple of thoughts to get you encouraged, inspired and excited:
- There’s nobody like Jesus…
We have to put off some of what our experience of human relationships has taught us because Jesus’ love is not something we can compare with love as we know it in our fallen world:
He is never distracted but always intensely interested. He understands you completely and doesn’t make fun of you. He likes you! He actually wants the best for you. He cares about you. He doesn’t pull you down to make Himself look good. He doesn’t laugh at you and mock you. He makes you feel of infinite value—never cheap.
He thinks you’re amazing and extraordinary, and He’ll be your friend when no one else will. He doesn’t rush ahead and leave you panting to keep up. He doesn’t fall asleep on you—ever. He picks you for His team straight away. He always wants to pair up with you. There’s a seat permanently saved beside Him with your name on it. He asks you to dance every single time.
He never holds back and He never manipulates or throws a tantrum. He doesn’t stand you up or let you down. He keeps promises always. He’s available 24/7. You can’t come on too strong. You can’t be too weak or feeble. You can’t leave Him unsatisfied, and looking for anything better. He doesn’t start a fight and He doesn’t argue. You can’t do anything He isn’t willing to forgive. His eye never glances elsewhere. His feelings for you never waver. You can only be certain of His love.
- There’s nobody like you!
Never think that your relationship with Jesus doesn’t matter, that you’re dispensable or that He prefers the love He has with someone else. You can think you’re just one person over the whole of history—just you—nothing special. But you’re unique and His love for you is just for you. He can’t have what He desires with you with anybody else who has ever lived or will ever live.
In the same way we need to stop seeing Jesus through our experiences of relationships in a fallen world, we need to realise that He doesn’t see us like fallen people do.
He enjoys the way you are—your laughter, the way you think, your voice, your singing, all your funniest little ways—everything—and is never bored by it. The way you pray and chat to Him, the way you worship and love Him, the peculiarities of the relationship He has with you inspire Him in a special way.
Psalm 45 says that He is enthralled by you—totally intrigued—so much so that He wants you to look at Him and say something:
Let me see you; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant and you are lovely.
(Song of Solomon 2:14 NLT)
•••••••••••••••••••
Now the relationship I have with Jesus is the best thing in my life. But it wasn’t always like that—there was a time when I didn’t even believe that He loved me at all. Things have changed as God has shown me how to enjoy a relationship with Jesus, and I’ve written about what He’s shown me in the book, Becoming You.
 Check out the book if you want the kind of amazing, fulfilling relationship with Jesus that will give your life meaning and purpose and will show you how to become the woman you were made to be!
Go to: www.annasymonds.com
Books can to be mailed worldwide.
©2008, Anna Symonds
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Christian Women Online is produced by
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