Good morning!
Do you ever consider the importance of your relationships? Even day to day interactions with people you know or even with strangers? Think about how you might interact with others on social media?
In our current cultural moment relationships are being broken and challenged with many people leading with anger, name calling and irrational, unfounded ascribing of motivations.
While we (yes we - me included) fall into the ways of the world, God calls us (at least for those that believe in His work through His Son, Jesus) to take a different approach than the world. He calls us first to love Him with everything we have got...and then asks us to pour this love out to our neighbors - to those we encounter in our daily living.
Matthew 22:36-40 - 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
And repeated in Mark (we also see this called out in Luke as well) -
Mark 12:29-31 - 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
And what anchors relationships - could it be how we treat each other? Even when we disagree or we do not see from the same perspective? See Paul's comment to the Ephesians:
Ephesians 4:32 - "Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."
And Jesus reminds us that our neighbor is pretty much anyone we might run into as we live our daily life.
Relationships are so important especially in our walk with Jesus, our Savior, in doing God’s work. There are times when relationships become challenging (maybe not for you… but definitely this is so for me). So really these pieces of scripture speak to one of the ways the gospel speaks to nurturing relationships – through kindness and a soft heart, giving and asking for forgiveness as needed.
For each of us to live our life out with family, friends, neighbors, strangers or to do our work, we need to spend time on the relationships in our lives – in all moments. With those we know and with those we do not know but who cross our paths. Each one of these connections is an opportunity to share the light of our Savior.
Can you think of any instances recently where you were Christ showed up in your interactions – with someone you know – or someone you had just met? How did you see God at work? How did it touch you? How do you think it touched the other person?
Surrendering to God, praying to Him to use us, I believe, leads to us being able to bring the right heart into our relationships and interactions with others – to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving.
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is that we do not miss the opportunities God creates in relationships, in connections and in our path’s crossing with others, to shine Your Light such that hearts can be healed, that restoration can begin…! Amen!
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Patrick
Do you ever consider the importance of your relationships? Even day to day interactions with people you know or even with strangers? Think about how you might interact with others on social media?
In our current cultural moment relationships are being broken and challenged with many people leading with anger, name calling and irrational, unfounded ascribing of motivations.
While we (yes we - me included) fall into the ways of the world, God calls us (at least for those that believe in His work through His Son, Jesus) to take a different approach than the world. He calls us first to love Him with everything we have got...and then asks us to pour this love out to our neighbors - to those we encounter in our daily living.
Matthew 22:36-40 - 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
And repeated in Mark (we also see this called out in Luke as well) -
Mark 12:29-31 - 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
And what anchors relationships - could it be how we treat each other? Even when we disagree or we do not see from the same perspective? See Paul's comment to the Ephesians:
Ephesians 4:32 - "Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."
And Jesus reminds us that our neighbor is pretty much anyone we might run into as we live our daily life.
Relationships are so important especially in our walk with Jesus, our Savior, in doing God’s work. There are times when relationships become challenging (maybe not for you… but definitely this is so for me). So really these pieces of scripture speak to one of the ways the gospel speaks to nurturing relationships – through kindness and a soft heart, giving and asking for forgiveness as needed.
For each of us to live our life out with family, friends, neighbors, strangers or to do our work, we need to spend time on the relationships in our lives – in all moments. With those we know and with those we do not know but who cross our paths. Each one of these connections is an opportunity to share the light of our Savior.
Can you think of any instances recently where you were Christ showed up in your interactions – with someone you know – or someone you had just met? How did you see God at work? How did it touch you? How do you think it touched the other person?
Surrendering to God, praying to Him to use us, I believe, leads to us being able to bring the right heart into our relationships and interactions with others – to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving.
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is that we do not miss the opportunities God creates in relationships, in connections and in our path’s crossing with others, to shine Your Light such that hearts can be healed, that restoration can begin…! Amen!
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Patrick
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