At one time or another, we all likely fall into the trap of trying to take responsibility for our relationship with God. But it is all His idea, and He already has planned out every circumstance, challenge and encouragement necessary to bring us into the full realization of experiencing His eternal life in our whole being. Realizing this, we may fall the other way, into the deception that since God is in complete control, and has every circumstance planned, we can just lean back and let Him do His thing. We need to come to a basic understanding that knowing God is not an either/or proposition. We are in cooperation with God in this endeavor; He is not raising up slaves, but sons, to rule, reign and fellowship with Him. So part of our training as joint-heirs will be to learn by experience how to cooperate with our Older Brother in every endeavor.

Adapted from Knowing God by Dianne Thomas