From the beginning God was into relationships
We see in the beginning the relationship between the three persons of the Godhead
God created the angels to have a relationship.
He created Adam and Eve to have a relation ship with Him and also with each other.
We see the relationship between Jesus and the father and also the Holy Spirit.
The relationship to Jesus and the church
The relationship of the church to each other as the body of Christ
The relationship between spouses
1.Realize that relationships are twofold.(It takes two to tango)
A. You cannot have a relationship by yourself...it takes at least one more person.
2. Do to others as you would have them do unto you (Practice the principle of reciprocity)
Love others and they will love you
Care for others and they will care for you
Help others and they will help you when you are in need
-If others don’t do it back its because they have a problem not you.
-Here is something that the Lord gave me a few months ago that may help others with their relationships;
"Build a fence around your heart, not a wall. Allow others to see but not readily touch. Let them approach and behold, to consider its beauty, and then decide if they can answer the invitation...Should they walk away, remember the value of the property has not decreased".
3. Work on your God centered relationships above all others.
*Col.3:18ff.. " Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism."
Which are your God-centered relationships?
-Your relationship with God
-Husband and wife
-Parent and son or daughter
-Between siblings
-With the church(brothers and sisters in the Lord)
-With your Pastor
-Your employer
-Then with others
4. Nurture and feed your God centered relationships
-Take time to share your life with your family, in your work place and in this church.
-Take five seconds to look around this congregation and make a mental note of who is not here.
-Go out to lunch with a different family or individual one Sunday out of the month and spend time getting to know them.
-All of us have something that we can bring into the relationship that the other half doesn’t have.
- Affirmation is important in every God centered relationship.
-Letting the other person know what they mean to you.
Most of us know how to affirm people, especially people who are like us or people from whom we want something. But we sometimes do not affirm those who are closest to us, because we take them for granted.
Fathers can affirm their children but are careless with their wives.
Church people who affirm one another at church and are careless with their family members at home.
5. Make God the center of all your relationships
-Realize that people will let you down but God never will
-Use God’s word as a guide for your relationships
6. Love above everything else.
-Love never fails
*1st John 4:19 "We love, because He first loved us.A. As Christians, we love everyone because of the great love that God has for us.
The statement has been made that says, "We can’t love until we’ve been loved, and we can only love to the degree to which we have been loved."
7. Be willing to forgive if need be and to say I’m sorry if you messed up.
-Love and forgiveness is the foundation to every God centered relationship
