Personal Relationship

The Lord Jesus keeps impressing upon me the importance of my personal relationship with Him. This may seem like a no-brainer, something incredibly obvious yet I wonder how many people who identify as "Christians" actually have a truly intimate, personal relationship with Christ. He tells us that to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27) is the most important commandment. To have a love relationship with someone requires trust, time, energy, and commitment. And as humans many of us seem to need something to ignite that relationship like placing a key in an automobile ignition to get the engine going. I believe that the disciplines of reading the Word of God and praying on a regular, consistent basis form the key to start and keep the relationship with God going.
    After many years of observation and inquiry I am convinced that very few "Christians" actually do even one let alone both of these not to mention more advanced things like memorizing the Scripture and fasting. Why not? Perhaps we were told the wrong gospel. Many seem to believe that if we pray a prayer, go to a church building on a regular basis, and are a nice person that this will fulfill God's requirements. Then we can do what we feel like the rest of the week. This is the cruise ship mentality that God exists to serve us and give blessings, a celestial Santa Claus.
    The truth is that we are more like sailors on a coast guard cutter going out into dangerous waters to rescue people from sin, death and the devil. We are told to "deny ourselves, take up our crosses (an instrument of death) daily and follow Jesus- potentially into suffering, hardship and persecution. (Luke 9:23) But we will not be able to do this for any length of time if we are not receiving His love and truth on a regular basis through our relationship with Him. Without this continual filling we will inevitably place demands on people that they either cannot or will not meet with consequent frustration and problems.