I want to end this series with a bit of sap and a little romance, but it is all too fitting for a closure on my favorite things.
My absolute favorite people in this world live in my house.
My wife of 14 years and the mother of my children is my top priority when it comes to relationships on earth. She is my biggest fan and makes me believe I am the BEST. I am constantly blown away by her selflessness and continue to be empowered by her service to me and our family. Her words or just her touch can melt away tension or reassure in uncertainty. Her needs are of utmost importance to me and all others fall short of the value and place she has in my life.
Immediately after Ashly comes the A-team, our kids. To be their father/superhero is an absolute blessing, honor, and a privilege I don’t take lightly. I love watching them grow, learn, fail, and recover. I love when they need my help, tell me they love me, wrestle me, or just cuddle when we’re all clean and settling down for the night. I love doing things for them and giving them nice gifts. I enjoy providing for them and helping them reach the next level. Their success in maturing into faithful followers of Christ and productive self-sustaining citizens is constantly on my mind and in my effort as their dad.
There is something so powerful about these relationships. They certainly aren’t perfect and have all kinds of conflict from time to time. Days and moments sometimes paint a rather dark picture of tumultuous chaos instead of serenity and peace but when they are functioning well, it really doesn’t matter what is happening in the rest of the world. All is well when these are good.
Genesis and Exodus as well as Jesus make it clear that there is a divine purpose in human relationships. From the time in the garden to the 10 Commandments and the very example of the Son of God reveal the intent for human connection – to reflect the character and nature of God.
The Garden of Eden was a perfect place and gives us the clearest picture of God’s original intent for humanity. To be ONE with each other and with nothing hindering communion with God (naked and unashamed – Genesis 2:25).
In Exodus, God gives laws and commands to people to help bring order to chaos. Relationships are tense already and people are losing site of God. These commands spelled out a way to interact that would consider one’s relationship with God first, creating the best path for communion spiritually as well as defining what it looked like to live with others in mind and bringing union amongst people. (The first 4 commandments are about our relationship with God and the last 6 are all about our relationship with others. Ex 20)
Jesus echoes all this when he sums up then entire Old Testament law with two sentences. “The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is just like it, to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:37-38).
So, as I look at these relationships in my own home and often find them to be intense struggles of power and battles of will, I can understand better their purpose if I look at them through this lens. God created us for community and that means we are to think COME-UNITY. We must bring it about in our marriages, in our families, but also in our world.
I know that people are crazy and division is imminent. But we have within us and are commanded to “Make every effort to keep the unityof the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3) and “as much as it depends on us live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). We’re responsible for US and need to know that peace is a BONDING agent.
So, instead of being right today, what if you BE LOVE?
The next time you want to get even, how about you GET BETTER?
I’m guessing there are some relationships that you may need to work on, put a little more effort into, try a little harder. Don’t give up, just give your best. Do better because you know better and see what may come as a result.
From within your own home to around your world, let the relationships in your reach be displays of the God who calls and equips us to be peacekeepers, peacemakers, and peace-givers so that we “would be ONE as Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit are ONE” (John 17:21).
Brett
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