Relationships that Work!

Relationships that Work!

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:10‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Be devoted to one another with [authentic] brotherly affection [as members of one family], give preference to one another in honor;

The Lord reminds us again of the benefits and blessings that come from an understanding of who I am, who I belong to, who I serve and where I am headed. All of these lessons help me decide what is really important to focus on. Not all will be urgent at the same time, but as I depend on God for my daily work, He will make clear what is really important and He will also suppy the grace I need to meet the demand He places on me. In the face of competing interests and divergent views, this message is not a popular one, but then, when has following God or submitting to God been popular and widely accepted? The measure of submission to God's will is not in public acceptance or applause, but on God's approval. As long as God is pleased with my life and its offerings, it will not matter what the general populace thinks. If God is not pleased, it will also not matter what the general opinions of people are. What is critical is that I know who I am, which is a member of the family of God. 

As members of the same family connected by the blood of Jesus, what binds us together is stronger and greater than the details of what makes us different. It is in the diversity of views and opinions that the beauty of unity is appreciated. Affection must not be faked but it must be real and authentic, because it flows from a heart that is totally surrendered to God and His Word. It is that heart that can see others in the same way God does, and can place the interests of other people over and above yours. It will not come naturally to the natural man; the natural man fights just for himself first and foremost. The spiritual man knows that every life created by God is important, and will deal as such. Can I give preference to other people, even when my own interests are also at stake? Can God entrust the lives of other people into my hands, because He can trust my heart?  Can the verse above apply to my current pursuits and priorities? God's time of favour is here.