If you have spent time on the internet, you sooner or later experience a lost connection, a bad signal, or no signal at all.

It’s the same thing with our smartphones. Have you ever been talking to someone on your phone, when all of a sudden, you can hear them; but they can’t hear a word you are saying?

Clearly, there is a problem somewhere between Point A and Point B; the signal just doesn’t get through.

Truly this problem with our internet connections and smartphones, are a pretty good comparison with our relationships with one another and with our God.

I don’t know about you, but there have been times when I was talking with someone right in front of me, and they were not hearing a word that I was saying. Oh yes, they were looking right at me and nodding their head in agreement; but their mind was a million miles away on only God knows what.

When I asked them, something directly concerning what I was talking about; they gave me some off the wall answer, which confirmed what I already knew. They were not listening. Just because I didn’t say anything at the time; doesn’t mean I didn’t notice!

This would be kind of funny, except for the fact that it is such a sad reoccurring example in our world today.

We are not present for one another, let alone our God; and for this very reason, our relationships with both are in a sad state.

How bad is our disconnect with other people? I have been a witness to a bunch of people who should be talking with one another, who instead have their phones out and are scrolling through them.

Something is wrong with this picture, and we are all guilty of doing this to some degree!

Let’s take this to the next level, shall we! Distractions! It’s hard to focus when your attention is being pulled in every which direction. It’s like someone jumping up and down right between you and the other person, you are trying to talk to. In this world, it happens all the time. People only get half of what they should. No wonder, there are so many misunderstandings. Talk about lost in translation.

Not hearing the other person can also come about; because we are so busy trying to figure out some witty reply to make ourselves look good or intelligent. Instead of being sensitive to what someone else is saying, we have to insert ourselves into it.

The last reason for a bad connection comes from something unseen; yet very apparent.

Let’s say we have some friends all talking together; but something is noticeably off. There is a coolness among them and curt replies. We can’t physically see it; but something has come to cause division and strife that was not there before. This can happen in any relationship. Boy can you feel it.

It could be jealousy, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, or even gossip; but something has caused this normally warm group, to act differently with one another. Whatever the reason, it is real.

Now we are going to take this up another notch to our relationship with our Lord and God. Remember we are talking about our connection and what disrupts it.

The day we are born again, the Spirit of Christ comes into our spirit and makes His abode. This means that God is not a far off, way up in Heaven somewhere. His Spirit is now in us. He right now is traveling with us wherever we go. He is a witness to whatever we do and hears whatever we say and are thinking. This should give us all pause; with this realization.

This might be news to some; but it’s the truth. How many times do we give His Spirit, our comforter, the cold shoulder. It’s like having a person right beside us and acting like they are invisible, like they don’t matter. Whoa, how sad is this!

We don’t want to listen when He is trying to help us and lead us in the right direction. No, we are just too busy, we know better. Do we really! Where we are right now in our lives, says it all. We are following after our own ways and not His ways. Where has this gotten us? Well, way off track for most.

I want to say right at the start here, there is no problem on God’s end with the connection. The giving end is perfect. It’s totally you and I, that have allowed the signal to be broken or interrupted.

My friend, the only thing that can break our connection with God; is sin! I am talking here about unconfessed, unrepented sin. That is, any known sin we have not said, Lord, please forgive me for.

When we have consciousness of God’s presence in our life, we will also have a consciousness of what can and does interrupt it.

I don’t know about you, but by simply placing my hand upon my chest and thanking the Lord for His goodness and grace; I actually feel the warmth and stirring of His Spirit within me. He is with me. That’s how close He is.

You see, HIs Spirit wants us to stay connected. He is always going to show us when we are doing and thinking those things that are not right with God! Why? So, we can take care of business immediately! How do we do this? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (sin).” I Jn 1:9

If you can imagine, we have this huge river that is before us. Our God is on one side of it, and we are on the other. We cannot cross because it is too wide. We need a bridge, something that can get us to Him.

Jesus is that bridge. Only Jesus can reconcile us unto God. There is no way to the Father, except through the Son. Only through Jesus is there remission of sin. Only through Jesus can we ask forgiveness for our daily sins in His name, that we stay connected to God.

Now when we are born again, all are past sins are forgiven and forgotten by God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, never to be mentioned again.

We have a clean slate so to speak. It is now our responsibility to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. As Believers, we must now ask forgiveness when we sin in Jesus’ name and we will be forgiven. This keeps us aware and sensitive to what offends God, so that we don’t continue to offend.

Why is this so important? Sin interrupts and ultimately breaks our connection. Our prayer life is directly affected.

Unconfessed sin blocks the signal, our lifeline to God. Our prayers don’t get through like they should. So, if we think that no matter how we walk, we can still pray in Jesus’ name and that God will answer our prayers; we are sadly deluded.

It doesn’t work that way.

It’s not enough to say we believe and know what God’s Word says. In order to make sure God both hears and answers our prayers, there must be a willingness and obedience on our part to walk in fellowship with Him and keep our connection open through confession of our sins.

What does it say in John chapter 15 verse 7? “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Let’s remember also here that “whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” I Jn 3:22

We don’t come boldly to the throne of grace, without first drawing “near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Heb. 10:22

We have to love God first before we can ever truly love one another.

So going back now to our example of friends in a room that are divided; they clearly have allowed sin of some kind into their relationship with one another.

As long as sin remains, there will always be this dividing factor, which can pop up at any time down the road. Their relationship with one another could even out, but sooner or later trouble is going to arise, if the problem is not corrected but instead pushed aside.

Do we condone, tolerate, or make excuses when others do wrong? Absolutely not. We are to follow Jesus’ example! Hate the wrong that people do; but love them. We are to forgive them, just like our Lord has forgiven us.

When disagreements and arguments arise; it is not who wins the argument that is right, but instead about what is right and that according to what the Word of God says.

Let’s be quick to discern when things don’t seem as they should; and seek the Lord for the cause. Let’s learn to listen better to others and our God; for this gift of life we have been given, is not just about us and what we want.

We have to learn to love as Jesus loves and to love others as He has loved us. This my friend is a life-long endeavor.

Let us practice being more aware of God’s presence with us in our lives. It will change how we live and think, which will ultimately be manifested in our everyday life, in our relationships and through answered prayer.

As Believer’s is this not what we all truly want in our lives!