Relationships: Keeping Hope Alive

This month I selected Relationships as my Personal Theme. 

Then I find out at church the theme is:  Healthy Relationships.  In the sync of things or what?!  I love how someone at church said the theme is really "Heal Thy Relationships"

Pastor Javier has been preaching from the Song of Solomon this month and while he was just way too excited about some of it (LOL) it was a great series.  Even better he and his lovely wife and co-pastor, Pastor Melinda did an excellent job of sharing during this series.

The Purpose Driven Relationship

I am reading The Purpose Driven Life along with the Young Professionals group in my church.  I've read it before but that was about ten years ago and I can see how much I've learned and grown since then.

What I've gleaned from the readings is that Relationships are to be at the top of the list.  Let love be your chief aim is what Jesus said when he said, "The Greatest Command is to Love your neighbor as you love yourself and just as equally important is to Love Your Neighbor as you Love Yourself"

When I selected Relationships as my Theme for this month, I wasn't just thinking about a dating relationship.  I was thinking about my relationship with my church, my friends, and my clients.  It's pretty fitting that this month we were introduced as the new family members at Shiloh.  

It's crazy that after all my complaining against the church and avowed member of Bedside baptist that happened.  I should have known I was sunk after Seed Sowing Sunday last year with my dramatic declaration of all that would happen at Shiloh.

Our relationships with other believers is super important and one that is often overlooked or shallow due to our prior experiences.  While reading the Purpose Driven Life, studying in my Pathways classes at Shiloh, and looking at how isolationism is wreaking havoc in our society I think it's more important than ever for believers to get together and form Purpose Driven Relationships.

Getting Healthy in Our Relationships

One of the main reasons I signed up for Cleansing Streams last Fall was because I KNEW I needed to get my mind right in regards to Relationships.  I needed to get my relationship right with God and how I looked at him and I needed to get my mind right when it came to relationships.

I would venture to say that 90% of our relationship problems have to do with us.  It's our perspective that is the problem rather than the other person.  This requires getting healthy in our relationships.

Much like getting Physically Healthy it's not just going to happen in one shot.  You don't eat healthy and exercise for 3 months and then expect to be healthy for the rest of your life.  It's an ongoing process that you have to keep working at for the rest of our life.

I've tried to be intentional this month about my relationships by:

• Meet new people and engage them in conversation
• Helping others where I can
• Texting people to encourage them and let them know I missed them.

After being so focused on self preservation for so long, it's out of my comfort zone to say Relationships are what is most important in life and not just my own accomplishments.

Keeping Hope Alive

Is there not a cause?

Yes but there is a cost

There's always a cost when you do something for the Lord as it should be.  One of the scriptures I've learned in my Pathways class is 1 Samuel 24:24

24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels[a] of silver for them.

I love this but I don't like it when it's actually happening.  Yes of course I believe I want to pay for what God has for my life  but when I'm actually sacrificing and paying the price in time...I'm not liking it.

This past week or so I felt frustrated and annoyed. My enthusiasm severely waned.  Didn't feel like studying, reading working out, and I forced myself to power through worship on Sunday even though I felt like sitting down. 

I wondered to myself, "What more can I do? What am I not doing right?  Why don't I feel like things are moving ahead?"

But God always has a word in season.  I saw this scripture on my Facebook timeline

Hebrews 10:23
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

In our worship as a Lifestyle class Sister Demetra gave an excellent interpretation of Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
  

 She said picture it as Coming Home and Collapsing on your couch in your comfy pajamas.  Be Still.  Relax.  Stop striving and stop trying to do it all in your intellect and will.  Relax.  Be Still and Know that Abba has you. 

Whew.  I woke up today and felt so much better.  It's not on me to try to Make it happen!!

This month was Valentine's Day and I didn't feel one way or the other about it. Even though I am waiting for something exciting to happen, I refuse to do what I used to do and run ahead of the Lord or try to force my way in.  Reckless Love is awesome when God is doing it...but not me.

I'm keeping Hope Alive y'all!!