It's rare when relationships are convenient, but it is not rare for relationships to be what makes life worth living
"The Lord said,
'Shall I keep secret from Abraham [My friend and servant] what I am going to do . . . For I have known (chosen, acknowledged) him [as My own] . . .'"
We were created for relationship . . . therefore, everything that God has and wants for our lives happens in and through relationship.
When we skip this or remove it from the equation, we take God out and remove Him from the equation.
We have all seen and felt first hand the consequences of that and what that looks like in our own lives . . . when we attempt to take God out from the "equation" of our lives.
He created us for relationship . . . which means it all happens in relationship.
Although many may feel they are better without others, the truth is we need each other to not only grow but to thrive.
Most importantly, we need the friendship we can find in God . . . the way He loves us and fathers us through every detail of our lives.
We were created for relationship.
I can simply just look at my own life and compare times when I have sort of isolated myself from others and not made much of an effort to "reach out."
And when I compare those times to other times I have put forth a lot of energy and gone out of my way to pour into, spend time with, and love on family and friends and even strangers, I reap a much much more rich reward.
In those moments, I feel truly alive and full of purpose much bigger than myself.
I feel like I am really living life to the fullest when I have worked hard at pursuing others and giving attention to what they want more importantly than what I want.
It is tempting to think,
"What about me?"
"Who is going to take care of me and what I want?"
That's simple.
God is the one who takes care of us.
That is something He showed me a while back . . . that He will take care of me while I take care of others.
That's not a condition He puts on us.
That's a fact.
It's the way things are.
He will love on me and make sure I am pursued actively while I love on others around me and actively pursue them.
Something we probably all know by now as adults is this:
We all want to be heard and we all want to be recognized by the unique person we are.
I mean look at things like "selfies" and Youtube videos and Facebook and Instagram . . . they all scream of our need to be heard and noticed and recognized.
So it is simply our human nature to beg the question, "What about me?"
But that's exactly what gets us into trouble.
The scriptures say that every quarrel starts with selfishness . . . people saying, "What about me?"
Well, what about you?
What about me?
What if I told you that the life you desire and long for and want, even right now can be found by letting that question go?
Instead, what if we made that question stay on the track of,
"What about them?"
What about all the people around us right now . . . not very far away from us . . . that are wanting to be a heard just like you . . .
Who are wanting to be noticed . . .
Who are wanting to be recognized and appreciated . . .
What about them?
That was Jesus' heart anyways.
That was actually His heart always.
So, what does all this have to do with "relationship" and the fact that we were clearly created for it?
When we experience the great value of relationship, we learn the beauty of putting others before us.
But how do we learn the "value" of relationship?
We learn the value of relationship by first focusing and cultivating one with the One in whom it came from.
That is probably not the answer that feels as good and the one that we often welcome sadly, but the truth of it remains unshaken.
It all starts with our relationship with our Creator before it can trickle down into the relationships we have with those around us.
Have you ever done something really nice for a close friend or a family member like your Mom or Dad?
Aside from maybe it being an inconvenience, didn't it feel really good to offer them something they were in need of?
Doesn't it feel good to even open up the door for someone or help someone with directions or let a Mom with 3 kids go in front of you in a long line?
Those are just glimpses of God's over flowingly generous heart.
Every time we do something like that, we get a glimpse into what it is like to value relationship.
But because it comes from God, it must start there for there to be any real change in us to become more like Him.
This isn't about becoming some guy who is just always doing the "right" thing like opening up doors for people and handing a $20 to a homeless guy.
It's gotta be more than that . . . it's gotta be just as true then as it is when you're in an argument with your wife who wants to be heard more than she even cares that you are right.
It's gotta be more than you not tailgating someone after they just cut you off . . . it's gotta be when what you had planned to happen on a certain day gets thrown off course because your buddy wants to meet at some inconvenient location.
It is so easy to miss the value of relationship . . . so easy . . . unbelievably easy.
Why is it so easy to miss it?
It's because relationship is rarely convenient.
If you're looking for convenient, you will miss valuing relationship.
You can't have both.
I mean, have you ever see a big family?
I do every weekend at a small church I serve and attend at . . . a family of 11 I believe.
And let me tell ya, convenience is not in any close proximity to them even if they so wanted it.
So why would we think our relationship with God should be any different?
We have all been quick to complain about our relationships, yet, we may find that it stems from us just wanting convenience.
It's rare when relationships are convenient, but it is not rare for relationships to be what makes life worth living.
Anyone can go and help someone out . . . but not everyone lives that way.
Do you see the difference?
But like a chasm that has to be bridged, in order for us to live that way, we must find that value at its source.
We must walk with the One in whom posses that kind of caliber of love and compassion towards others.
Jesus was "moved with compassion" for others and that is what would drive Him to touch someone with leprosy . . . heal the broken hearted and forgive sins.
It was God's love that moved mountains for people . . .
So why would we even attempt to do all of that on our own.
That is just as silly as a kid wanting to play house to feel like they are actually an adult doing adult things.
"And the Lord brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, 'Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them.' Then He said to him, 'So [numerous] shall your descendants be.'"
Picture that . . . the simplicity of Abraham walking outside with God underneath the stars . . . just the two of them.
I have often times remembered that scripture as I too have taken long walks alone with God, as we shared the heights of our thoughts and depths of our passions with each other.
I am no better person to live a certain way . . . to be selfless, for I am always at risk for becoming selfish, always.
But, I would be a fool to think otherwise, that those moments I have spent alone with God in the simplicity of which they came . . . that I wasn't changed forever because of them.
This is not for the "elite" Christian, for I would not be allowed close.
This is for the thirsty and hungry soul who wants to be heard and noticed and recognized and appreciated.
It is for the one who wants to be shown forgiveness and be loved unconditionally so they can in-turn forgive and love unconditionally.
This is for the one who wants to not just do something good for someone, but wants to live that way . . . who wants to learn the grandest part of what makes life worth living.
This is for you.
It will always be about relationship because we were created for it.
(context and scripture found in Genesis 15:5, & 18-33)
