Opposites tend to attract one another, but it is those opposing characteristics and personality traits that tend to bring about the most conflict. Even introverts desire wholeness within relationships, but unfortunately the presence of conflict within relationships tends to drive out our inner peace and joy. This is the case for all earthly relationships. And while some of us can get really good at being “tight” with someone, and even learn how to argue well with another (without fighting), there still will be conflict and disunity at times.

Relationships are a vital part of our hardwiring, yet they cannot be the source of our peace. Women, especially, tend to place too much weight on another individual to provide this wholeness, which is an unfair burden for another. Our God and Creator is the only one who can give us everlasting joy. What’s incredible is that he even desires to give us peace amidst conflict and trials! He does this in many ways. He not only provides us with supernatural abilities through the Holy Spirit, but even just the knowledge of him provides us with enough hope and ability to be sustained.

Here’s the truth: God knows us deeply and desires to be known by us. This truly is what we all deeply desire with our earthly relationships, so how incredible is it that the God of the universe desires this with us? He gave us his holy word and even direct access to him. He desires to connect with us constantly. We don’t need to hide ourselves from him, because we are already known by him. We don’t need to withhold our desires from him, because he knit us together in our mother’s womb. This is real #relationshipgoals.

Please read this passage from Hosea 1 as you enter into the new year. To set the stage a bit, please note that we are Gomer in this story. Sin separates us from having unity with God, but he still pursues us and loves us! Let us stop keeping him at arm’s length, but let him love us deeply like Hosea does Gomer in this story.

When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”

When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
— Hosea 1:2–11

Let’s find joy in the fact that he is faithful! Even though we are innately unfaithful, he will still call us children of the living God! Place your trust in him. Let 2019 be a new year of new #relationshipgoals for you!