Good day
In the previous message I mentioned that the purpose behind what we do is all about people, and that when God gives us an instruction, He does so with people in mind.
I shared that the instructions God gives us is inspired by His purposes, so if His purpose is people, then ultimately one can conclude that whatever He's asking us to do, the great commission is at the heart of it ... That God has people in mind when asking us to do something for Him, so therefore we make ourselves available to be a vessel/vehicle that the Holy Spirit can work through in order to reach, help and encourage others.
This brings me to today's message - If the purpose behind what we do is all about people, then how we relate to others and the value we place on our relationship with them becomes very important.
God placed such a high value on His relationship with us that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sins so that we can enter into a covenant with Him and have an eternal relationship with Him (John 3:16-18). He didn't choose to love us based on our titles, positions or what we could do for Him. He chose to do this because He loves us, because He wants to have a relationship with us.
Not only has He made a way for us to enter into a relationship with Him but consider still the level to which He loves, and the commitment He has towards our relationship with Him, in that He chooses to be patient with us, overlooking our faults and lack of obedience, chooses to be forgiving and merciful towards us. He doesn't forget about us. He doesn't turn His back on us or ignore us. He doesn't cast us aside. He encourages, motivates and is always there to listen to us. He gives us wisdom. He gives us strength. He empowers us. He instills hope, passion, calling and purpose. He comes to our aid, He provides, He heals, He comforts, He restores, He sets free and delivers ... Not only has He made a way for us to enter into a relationship with Him but He also nurtures, maintains and grows that relationship, and when we get to Heaven one day we'll say the only reason we were able to make it there was because of Him (and then He'll even still reward us for all the things that HE ACCOMPLISHED through us on the Earth) ...
Can we see from the above just how valuable we are to God?
Can we see the value He places on having a relationship with us and the lengths that He's prepared to go to to make that happen?
Now here's the question my friend, what value do we place on the relationships in our lives?
What have we allowed to come between us and others? What offences, grudges, personality clashes, saying that we don't see eye to eye, saying that we just don't get along, saying that we don't have the same interests, etc. have hindered us from developing relationships with others?
What are we prepared to compromise and overlook or what personal preferences are we prepared to sacrifice for the sake of a relationship?
... and if we find this challenging or difficult to do, let's remind ourselves of God's love towards us and how He consistently treats us (regardless of how we've treated Him in the past)
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Colossians 3:13
Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Luke 6:32-37
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Matthew 7:12
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Some might say, "but that's God, I can't love like that". Jesus said the following in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” ... So evidently, we are capable of doing so - through His help by the power, strength and grace of the Holy Spirit.
In Matthew 24, Jesus was asked what will be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age and one of the things He mentions is the following, "because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."
One of the signs of the end times is that the love of many will grow cold (We don't have to look far to realize how true this is)
A lack of love will affect our ability to develop relationships, and again, is the purpose behind doing what we do is all about people, then how can we develop in our efforts to preach the gospel/fulfill the great commission and make disciples if our love, care and concern towards others becomes stagnant or grows cold?
As I type this message, I'm having to ask myself a few questions that I need to reflect on:
Do I love people the way God loves me?
Do I accept people the way He accepts/ed me?
Do I tolerate people the way He tolerates me?
Do I look past the shortcomings in others for the sake of the relationship, the way He does towards me?
Am I as faithful and committed towards the relationships in my life as He is towards me?
I trust you will reflect on the same, and maybe the Holy Spirit has highlighted other points that you may need to focus on, but most importantly, let's do something about it (James 2:17)
Amen