Relational Power

It is an inhumane tragedy for people to go through their entire lives with nobody to share their pain, their joy, their victories, or their battles with. It is a tragedy for people to die alone. We must do better. We must remind our brothers and sisters they are not alone, and we are stronger, more resilient, and better together. There are times when we will face battles in life we simply cannot endure alone. Relationships challenge us, empower us, influence us, and support us.

We need people in our lives who remind us of who we are, who will call out the best in us, who will challenge us when they see us living in sin, and, when we are prone to isolating ourselves from the world, who will sit with us as friends. We need people who will love us like Jesus, challenge us, empower us, influence us for good, and support us through it all.

When we hear the word relationships, we often, by default, think about romantic relationships. But we benefit from several different types of relationships throughout our lives, and each one is an example and demonstration of God’s love for humanity.

When God sent his Son, Jesus, to this earth, he sent him fully God and fully man. This is an example of how he is compassionate. He chose to suffer with us, to suffer for us, so we could be reconciled back into a right relationship with the Father. Jesus spent more time walking with sinners than he did speaking from synagogues and beautiful platforms.

Jesus acted relationally because he is relational, and every aspect of his assignment on earth was to restore relationships between humanity and God. The standard for relational living has been set by the way Jesus walked with humanity during his time on earth and the way God continues to love us even in our sin.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for my family, my friends, and my loved ones. Thank you for surrounding me with people in my life who support me and help me grow closer to you. I ask you for the wisdom, discernment, and courage to identify those relationships that you want me to sever ties with so I can continue on the path you have laid out for me. Amen.