Evidence of A Relationship

For years, all I wanted was a Facebook relationship status that wasn’t “It’s Complicated.” (Is that still a thing? I haven’t been on Facebook in 8 years lol). Hello decisions! Please meet consequences. What a low standard and goal for life. But in my late twenties/early thirties, that was the goal. “In a relationship.” Just do whatever you can to show you’re in the much coveted status of “in a relationship.”

Now at 42, and for the past almost decade now, my goal hasn’t been to achieve any relational status other than being right with the God who made me. I slowly returned to prioritizing that in the past 8 years.

And for the past few months, I just keep hearing this phrase SO OFTEN: Evidence of a Relationship. Evidence of a Relationship.

That is the Holy Spirit of God, beckoning that there be evidence we’ve been together.

Today, if a man has been with a woman, married or not, there’s usually some type of evidence. Either a child is conceived, trauma is left behind, bodily fluids are left behind, or all of the above. Maybe a transmitted infection or confusion for a side dessert some like to give who are busy out in the streets looking for the next casual thing to selfishly satisfy their short-term desires.

We can all know the type of man or woman a person has been with based on how they behave and reflect outwardly as a result of that relationship. If their partner is abusing, misusing, or controlling them in any way, there are signs. If they are deeply respectful, loving, serving, and satisfying, there are also signs.

Our bodies BLEED information.

So do our spirits. The Spirit of God causes our spirit to bleed information, but also intensity, presence, love, joy, peace – all the things HE is. We should bleed it from our very pores if we’re truly one with him.

When we are consistently with the Lord, there should be evidence. Evidence of a relationship:

• The ability to quote scriptures – plural
• The ability to speak of biblical characters, who they were, what they did
• At least one Bible if not several – possibly in several different translations
• Notebooks, writing materials, highlighters, pens, or digital notes
• Dream books (for those who dream), visions written down (for those who have them), or even just thoughts
• Written prayers, devotional books, journal entries
• Communion cups in the home
• Tons of time spent, tracked by some sort of mechanism of record

This isn’t to say every one of us needs all of these. But if a person walking this earth claims to know God and have an ongoing relationship with Him, yet there is no evidence, it’s hard to also believe there can be any fruit. Fruit grows from discovered evidence.

Like in a court case, evidence is gathered in discovery, then actions are derived from that evidence. If I want to discover if someone really knows the Lord, all I have to do is look for…

The evidence. Or lack thereof.

Hebrews 11:1 KJV – Faith as Evidence of Unseen Things

¹ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Acts 2:1-4 KJV – Evidence of the Holy Spirit

¹ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ³ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and …

1 John 3:9 – ESV – Evidence of Godliness & Being A True Believer

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

John 7:51 – ESV – Evidence Required for God’s Judgment

“Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”

Genesis 2:7 KJV – Evidence of Human Life

⁷ And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

1 John 3:11-24 – By this we know…

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.