Missional FriendshipSample

Day 2 - The Trinity as an Illustration of Missional Friendship.

God has always been in community. It is an amazing thought, really. But that is the essence of the trinitarian understanding of God. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God…” Genesis 1:2 says, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Colossians 1:17 says of Jesus, “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” God the Father, God the Spirit, God the Son.

There is much to learn and discern in thinking about the Trinity. But let’s just limit our thoughts on the amazing reality that each of the Trinity was never ever alone. None ever operated outside of intimate, connected relationship with one another. We see this reality throughout the story of Scripture. For Jesus, it is his intimate connection with Father God that gives him his voice to speak. And it is in the comfort of the reality of the ongoing presence of the Spirit that Jesus is able to encourage his disciples that which, although he will be physically gone, they will not be alone.

If the God of the Universe lives and functions in his perfection by being in essential relationship with the others of the Godhead, how have we ever gotten the idea that we can survive -- much less thrive -- apart from essential community in our own lives?!

I’ll tell you why: because Satan is a liar, and he wants you to be isolated and lonely. Because he wants to kill you, steal anything and everything you are or have, and he wants to utterly destroy you and your God-ordained, Kingdom-building work.

The very nature of God tells us that we were designed and intended to live and thrive in community with others.

Being in leadership does not make us the exception. Being in leadership makes it even more critical. If it is how God operates, it should be how we operate.

Questions to Consider:

• What can you learn from the relationship that God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have with one another?
• What gets in the way of intimate relationship with others?

Action to Take:

• Write out the relationship expectations you have of how others will engage in relationship with you. Once you have done that, evaluate yourself on how well you live up to your own expectations in how you do relationships with others.

Prayer to Make:

• Thank God for the friends God has given you and how they have been present for you. Pray for a leader that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind to experience authentic friendship this week.