Once we have Christ as our Savior, how do we grow in our relationship with Him? Jesus is called the "Good Shepherd" because He leads and watches over those who follow Him. He said: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). But how do we hear the Shepherd? Our sensitivity to His voice depends on communications in four areas.
God talks to us. As we read the Bible, He speaks to us through His own words and self-revelation (reference 2 Tim. 3:16).
We talk to God. As we receive understanding from Him, we respond to Him with affections and needs of our hearts (reference John 15:7).
We talk with our new family. As we connect with others who share our faith in Christ, we experience mutual encouragement to love as we ourselves have been loved (reference Heb. 10:24-25).
We talk with others about Christ. He desires for us to be His representatives to those who have not yet believed (reference Matthew 4:19). One of the best ways to do this is to show honest concern for them. If they see our changed life and see that we are genuinely interested in them, they are more likely to be curious about the difference they see in us.
We should remember that no two believers have an identical relationship with the Savior; but a genuine believer will have a desire to listen to God, to respond to Him, to fellowship with other believers, and to witness to those who do not yet know Christ. As we all pursue our Christian journey, we need to let God creatively guide our path to a growing relationship with Him.