Encouragement From God
Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Ephesians 5:21
To put it bluntly, sin ruins relationships. The sin of pride destroyed a perfect relationship with a perfect God in the garden and burdened and hindered every relationship going forward. From the beginning, God created us to be relational beings-- to relate to Him and to others. He requires right relationship with Him and out of that relationship we are equipped by the Holy Spirit to relate better to others. It’s like the “cross concept—vertical and horizontal,”—when we make our vertical relationship with God priority through His son Jesus, then we can better relate to others on the horizontal plane.
Our relationships with our spouses, children, friends or co-workers can’t thrive and grow without effective communication. Our attitudes and the way we speak to others is critical to how we relate. “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
Are we more concerned about our own motivations and feelings than those of another? Are we more concerned with our comfort than our brothers? The bible says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4
We invite you this month to “Fireproof” your relationships. Join us as we pursue true and transparent relationships God’s way.
