Relationships are part of life. If it is with colleagues at work, friends at school, your spouse or children, it is something that you can not get away from.
Recently Father is dealing with me regarding relationships. Since I can remember it was something that I was not good at. During my school career I was a loner and my first best friend is also my husband.
It was only after we were married, that my relationship with my mother improved and at that stage our children were also in pre-school.
Relationships were never easy for me, and I could name a few reasons for that. The main reason most probably is that I never saw an example in my parents’ house of good relationships.
The other day we watch the movie “God is not dead 3”. The one thing that the one guy said struck me and it just made sense. The cross of Jesus is all about relationship. The vertical is our relationship with Jesus. When we have a real intimate relationship with Christ, then our relationships – horizontal – fall into place. It is because we live out of a place of love and treat other people with respect and it is not all about myself and my needs, but the needs of the people around me. When we truly forgive and set people free, that is when we are set free from the bondage of bitterness and hatred. Jesus said that we should pray for our enemies and love our neighbours.
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
The Word says that if we say that we love God, but hate our brother, then we are lairs. It is not always easy, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can do it.
1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
In the new season where God placed us, He put people in my life who showed me how to build relationships. God is a good God and He wants everybody to have a life in abundance. We can only have that when we have a good relationship with Jesus and healthy relationships with the people around us. It is our responsibility to work on the relationship with the people around us. Treat everybody the way you want to be treated. We are all human, no matter our langue or skin colour. We are all made in the image of God.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, hollowed be Your name. We thank you for the people that you place in our lives. Please help us through Your Spirit to build good relationships with them and release Your love to them. Please forgive us for treating people with disrespect and looking down on people. Help us to spread Your love. In Jesus name Amen.