4 Formulas for Relationships
Posted by Pastor Kye
Yesterday, I preached a message in the sermon series called “30 Days to Live” about the relationships that we have with people. If we received news that we only had 30 days to live, we would undoubtedly spend our last days in spending time with people and reconciling relationships. Based on all the encouragement I received, I think it really struck a chord with how we aren’t taking time to invest in the relationships of people that God has placed in our lives. You can watch the message here, but here are the formulas:
1. Relationship with God is proportional (α) to our relationship with others
We can’t separate our loved for God and our love for one another. Those are the two greatest commandments. In fact, commandment two (“love one another”) is the life application of commandment one (“love God”). How you measure the health and maturity of your relationship with God is by measuring the health and maturity of your relationship with others.
2. Rules minus (-) Relationship equals (=) Rebellion
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Whether you are a boss, manager, parent, teacher, etc, understanding this formula will radically change the way you see things. If you invest in the relationship, people won’t see it as a bunch of rules, but they will respect the relationship and will follow.
3. Reconciliation is greater than (>) Resolution
When we have conflict and problems, we just want to resolve the situation rather than reconcile the relationship. But that’s taking a shortcut. Resolution focuses on the problem, reconciliation focuses on the person (that God loves and died for). That’s what God did for us, reconcile our relationship and also gave us the ministry of reconciliation (not resolution). Because God cares about people.
4. God loved us therefore (∴) we love others
We love because God first loved us. That’s the motivation of everything that we do for others. “I will no longer do unto you what you have done unto me, but I will do unto you as Christ has done unto me.” God forgave us therefore we forgive others. God blesses us therefore we are to be a blessing to others.
http://binnerriem.org/sermons2010/30days_loving_the_people.m4vMay God give us the grace we need to love God by loving those that He has placed in our lives.
