The RMD Protocol

When I jump into the car the Bluetooth system immediately starts downloading the contact list from my phone. It’s brilliant because even before I’ve buckled up, cranked up the Kurt Elling album and selected first gear, the full phone book is ready and available for hands free calls. Great technology.

Is it really that simple? Well…yes. I didn’t miss out any steps in that process. I didn’t have to tell the system to do that. It just knows that I want it to do that. Although, there was a point in time when I first paired my phone with the car’s Bluetooth kit.  There was a little unticked box that read “Remember my Decision”. So as you would…I ticked the box. I didn’t fully understand what ticking that box would mean. But boxes always have to be ticked and switches always have to be switched. Especially if the switch is a big red switch that says “DO NOT TOUCH”, we’ve all been there.

I’m now pleased that I engaged the RMD Protocol or Remember my Decision. Now there is a relationship between my phone and my car, they are paired & connected and until I tell them to disconnect, to separate or if I put a an obstacle in the way; they will continue to connect. They Remember my Decision.

We can apply this ‘Remember my Decision’ principle to our lives and to our relationship with God.

When Jesus’ death and glorious resurrection ushered in the New Covenant, the new Way of Grace, the curtain in the Holy Temple was torn by God, ripped in two as a sign that there is now no ritual for an audience with God. There is no separation from ourselves and God. The way is open, the decision is remembered.  So connect with God because He is ready.

God Himself is with us, in the form of The Holy Spirit and therefore we can continually be connected to God.  It is not a case of waiting for a connection.  Like trying to get a mobile phone signal in the great outdoors: –

“Will it connect? Will I have signal – (1 bar blinks on) – “I have 1 bar of signal!!.

Oh, it’s gone again.”

Connecting with God in a time of prayer or worship, whether personally or in a crowd should be as easy as hopping into your car and connecting to the Bluetooth system.  We can have a relationship with God that says “Remember my Decision”.  Do I want to connect with God during this time? Yes! And I want to connect automatically to all that God has for me.

Rather than working ourselves up to a connection and relationship with God, it is better to have that box ticked in your heart – Remember my decision.

The connection that we make with God can be hindered or slowed down.  Not because there is an issue with God or the hardware that we use – Faith, Prayer, Belief – but it is when we make God wait for us to tick “Always Connect” or “Remember my Decision”.  There have been a couple of times when I’ve messed with the Bluetooth setting on my phone, so the connection is disrupted.  Don’t let your life issue the notification “Paired, but not connected”.  Remain connected in to all that God has for you.

When I’m in the car and I want to listen to the music that I have on my phone, I don’t have to check first to see if it is connected.  I know it will be, because there is a relationship between car and phone.  I am expectant in my approach.  I expect that I will hear from my phone and I’ll be grooving down the motorway to the best jazz vocals around.

In the same way, when we create space to hear from God and deepen our relationship with him, we should come with an expectation to hear.  To hear good things from God.  When we make the decision in our hearts that the connection will be automatic, it will always connect.  Our hearts remember the decision.  When I use tech I have an expectancy that it will work, and when I use this same frame of mind, this same belief, then I will surely hear from our Father God.

When we position our hearts to hear more, we will hear more.  When we have expectant hearts it is as if we have just ticked the ‘Remember my Decision’ box and the automatic connection is secured.

Let’s consider our approach and see if there is a tick in that RMD box or do we have to wait for a manual connection with God each time.