Lecture Week 9
Relationships: Week 9
Why are relationships important?
They are God's ideas and are created by Him!
God is a relational God (trinity) whoever loves God must love his brother. Relationships are counter-culture, who you want to be will be found in your relationships. Do not isolate! We are not called to be independent. Independence will lead to isolation and isolation will quench the spirit. Isolation is counterfeit safety. Big dreams require a big community!
Restore and redeem your relationship with God first.
Grow in intimacy with the Lord and bring it all to Jesus. Human love is not and will not fulfill you only God's love will make you whole. His love should mark my life and allow love to be the theme of my life.
Restore and redeem your relationships with yourself.
Our identity is formed/ determined by what I think the most important person in my life thinks about me. What does the word of God say about me and do I actively agree with it!? Faith is not pretending to not see the problem. Faith means you can see past the problem.
Importance of community:
Be known by how you love. Aim to have the fruits of the spirit
~ love ~ joy ~ peace ~ patience ~ self control ~ faithfulness ~
1 John 4:7-21 - We love because He loves first.
Walking with people long-term will change minds, so be the person they call! Humble yourself and be a leader by loving people and meeting them where they are at.
Be planted in good soil, so good fruit will be bared. Be in a friend group that calls you higher, don't enable dysfunctional relationships.
Healthy Confrontation:
Handle it yourself
Process and work it out in your heart
Intrust yourself to the one who judges justly.
Step into everything with the right heart posture! Don't seek to get your point across.
2. When needed seek a leader or mentor.
3. Confront the issue privately:
Assume the best of the other person
Be centered in humility and reconciliation
Confrontation in Christianity is strengthening. Sit with them before confronting and be committed to reconciliation. Learn and grow from confrontation. There is grace when we walk in humility! Grace makes life a little easier! Strength comes with the community! Pursue people of purpose, see the strengths in others, and grow in their strength. What do I want to be and who can I learn from? We are meant to be communal, have someone you can call in an emergency, and be someone others can call- this requires authenticity and vulnerability. There is safety in community. Be submitted to accountability and mentorship. Acknowledge we have blindspots and do something about it.
Relationships are messy and hard but we are called to work together and love one another well in all aspects of life, whether in family, friendships, marriage, and church! I can attest that I felt called out this week, operating independently had turned into a counterfeigt safety. Intentionally seeking to deepen and strengthen relationships has been fruitful and honoring to God above all else. I am so grateful for realtional God.
