Love & Relationship
- Trinity Kennedy
- Sep 12, 2022
- 4 min read
Thursday, September 8, 2022
For today, friend, as I was praying about what I wanted to write about for this blog, Jesus put you on my heart. That may sound funny because you may think “you don’t even know my name”, but I believe that’s why He put you on my heart.
I felt like He wanted me to remind you today that He knows your name. Yes, it’s that simple and yet we still often forget. The creator of the world, who is also the creator of your heart, knows your name.
In fact, He LOVES your name. He loves getting to hear your name and He loves getting to say it. He calls you by name.
The reason I think I feel so strongly to remind you of that, is because He has been reminding me of that lately. I’ve been in a place where I’ve desperately needed to hear Him say my name.
Some of you might know already, but I’m engaged and getting married in June, to Joshua Ian Kennedy (insert heart eyes emoji). Although I prayed for my husband for as long as I had a relationship with Jesus, I truly couldn’t have ever prayed for all the little things about Ian that drew me to him. I’ve never known someone to love so deeply. His heart is tender and soft before Jesus like I’ve never seen in a man. He treats me with the utmost respect. He knows who he is in Christ, and he doesn’t boast it. He leads me closer to Jesus, in private first. I could go on and on about Him, but that leads me back to what I really want to share today.
My relationship with Ian brings me so much JOY, but Ian is not my happiness.
My relationship with Ian brings me so much PEACE, but Ian is not my peace.
My relationship with Ian brings me so much LIFE, but Ian is not my life.
My relationship with Ian brings me so much CONFIDENCE, but Ian is not my confidence.
If you don’t already know where I’m going with this, you may be thinking you hope he never reads this blog… and if so it might surprise you that he knows. And he knows because of this;
Just like Ian isn’t my joy, peace, life, and confidence… I’m not his joy, peace, life, and confidence either! Although our relationship is full of all of those things, we both have realized that it’s not US. It must be something and someone greater. It must be supernatural. It must be Jesus, in one another drawing us to Himself. One of the greatest things I’ve discovered in the last year is that love is consistent no matter where it’s found, if it’s true love. The world will try to give love many different definitions and attributes, but God defined love once and for all.
The point I want to make is that Ian could never fully satisfy me on his own. If I put all of my hope in Ian’s love for me, although I know it is true, I recognize that he is human. There is a greater love that lives in Ian. His name is Jesus, and He is the only one who can truly satisfy my soul. I love spending time with Ian, but what makes spending time with Ian so sweet is when we both spend time with our Jesus. Our first love. I love hearing Ian say my name, but I NEED to hear my Father say my name. I need to hear His voice and lean back into His arms. This not only satisfies my soul, but I believe it makes me a better fiancé, and soon to be wife. If I tried to love Ian out of my own strength and idea of love, I would fail every time. But is it God’s love and strength that makes loving Ian effortless.
What I’ve found and seen is that God is the source and the key to a love that isn’t of this world. God’s design for love and relationship is so much better than this world will ever tell us it is.
Love is Jesus, and when two people allow Jesus to satisfy their every need, they will experience a satisfying relationship. The world will tell you it’s physical attraction that drives a relationship and to make sure your partner is satisfying all your needs. And those things are so important to have in and on their own, but as your friend I want to tell you that no person could ever or will ever satisfy all your needs. No person was or is meant to do that.
Christ’ love completely redeemed my understanding of love and relationship. I never knew it could be this good. I never knew “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control” like this before. Everything became new and every thought had been redeemed.
I want to encourage you friend to listen to Him say your name. Let His voice remind you who you are and whose you are. There is no greater relational status than being loved by Jesus. He is the one we need and the only one that can show us what real love is. Let Him love you today and find yourself wrapped up in His faithfulness! Hear Him say your name and woo you to Himself. I promise you He’s willing and He’s waiting to be everything You need Him to be.
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