How can our relationships with other people help us change?

Welcome, dear children of God, to „Daily Word for Spiritual Edification”! I pray for the grace of God to fill your life today.

Yesterday we talked about the vertical relationships – between God and men. We saw that it is important to build our relationships with God on His conditions and then a person’s life is changed and exalted.

Today I would like to talk about the horizontal relationships – our relationships with people. How can our relationships with other people help us change? Many people think that in order to grow in God it is enough to have close relationships with God. That kind of thinking is actually erroneous! God and you – it is good and important. But God has placed you in a family and church (His Body) so that the relationships with other people can facilitate your spiritual growth and maturity.

All people need change; we help each other through relationships that we are involved. God alone does not need to change; all the people, on the other side, desperately need to change. We need each other and we help each other to change. If we do not understand it and lose sight of it, then it will be hard for us to build any relationships.

Many people feel lonely and are not able to make friends with other people, because they are not willing to change. Usually they don’t have friends because they prefer to shrink into themselves and live a secluded life instead of allowing the relationships and contacts to affect their lifestyle and to change them.

Our God is the God of relationships; and He has created us in His image and according to His likeness. God is One, but He is also triune: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit:

 «And there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one» (1 John, 5:8).

The Bible says that Father, Son (the Word) and the Spirit have relationships and they are one. There are no contradictions in their witness. The Word of God is the witness of the Holy Spirit and the witness of God the Father. In the very beginning of the Bible we can see how God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit acted in unity:

«Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness» (Genesis, 1: 26а).

So, God is the God of relationships and He has created us in His image and according to His likeness so that we would be the people of relationships. The relationships between people can be divided into several categories:

* The relationships between friends.

God desires to change us through our friendship with other people. That is why it says in the Bible:

 «As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend» (Proverbs, 27: 17).

If you do not understanding this truth, you will easily get offended when God will start smoothing some rough places in your character and life through your friends. If you do not understand it your friendships my fall apart due to different disagreements and you will again and again find yourself seeking for new friends and relationships. You must understand the goal of relationships, including friendship. Relationships is God’s instrument fro changing us and our character. Every relationship requires both parties to change; otherwise these relationships will be weak and fleeting. Every relationship implies mutual investments. In every relationship both parties must change, sacrifice and give in.

Talking about friendship, I must point out that it is important to build relationships with people that have the right values in life, because bad company corrupts:

 «Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits”» (1 Corinthians, 15:33).

I wish you God’s abundant blessings!

Till tomorrow!

Pastor Rufus Ajiboye