It’s All about Relationships

Relationships. They are the source of some of life’s most joyful satisfaction; but they are also the setting for some of life’s most bitter disappointments. If you are like most people, one of your perennial hopes is to improve the quality of your relationships with the other people in your life—and that is no small task.

John Andrew Holmes, Jr., the author of Wisdom in Small Doses, wrote, “It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others.” So if you really want to make the most of your life it is worth the energy to focus on making the most of the relationships in your life.

When Jesus was asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important,” he responded that loving God with your whole being was the most important; but he continued, “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31). Throughout his life Jesus made it clear that loving others was as much a part of living a life that honored God as any other act of sacrifice, worship, or devotion.

On the other hand, Jesus warned his disciples that they would encounter people who would refuse to welcome them, some who would openly oppose them, and others who would physically abuse them (see Matthew 10:9-23). In fact, Jesus warns, “You will be hated by everyone because of me” (Matthew 10:22a).

Paul was someone who responded wholeheartedly to the invitation to spread the good news, and yet who experienced the full extent of people’s resistance to the message. When he wrote the community of believers who were living in Philippi, he encouraged them to focus on three ways they could honor God in their relationships with one another: Be thankful for people. Be thoughtful of people. Be trustworthy with people—all the time remembering that God was at work in them through the power of the Holy Spirit because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Relationships. They are a crucial element in our lives—impossible for us to escape. I pray that as you reflect on God’s word you may be guided to live in ways that help you experience greater joy in knowing that you have been faithful in your relationships with others.