Relationship is key

See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God. (Hebrews 12:15) 

Imagine yourself as a teenager again. You’ve asked your father to give you and your friends a ride to the movies, but all he does is look into your eyes in silence. Then a grin flashes across his face. Reaching into his pocket, he hands you the keys to his brand new car. “It’s all yours tonight,” he tells you. “Be careful.” Your emotions swirl as you turn the ignition—elation, awe, and a healthy dose of fear! You have been entrusted with an object of great value. 

This illustration is not far from reality, because God has given you something even more precious than a new car. He has entrusted you with his grace. And he has entrusted you with the mission of sharing that grace with everyone around you. “See to it,” he says, “that no one be deprived of the grace of God” (Hebrews 12:15). 

So how do we spread God’s grace? Well, let’s consult the owner’s manual—the Bible! This verse comes in the middle of a call to live in unity with each other. Relationships are key! As we treat others in the profoundly merciful manner that God treats us, they’ll experience God’s grace, and that grace will move them closer to him. 

Scripture exhorts us: “Strive for peace with everyone . . . that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble” (Hebrews 12:14, 15). Do you have a relationship that isn’t at peace? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you extend grace to that person—no matter who is right or wrong. Pray for that person. In your heart, offer forgiveness. It may help to even say it out loud. Or maybe you need to ask for forgiveness. Ask God for the grace to do it, and then go out of your way to serve that person. Don’t expect anything in return. Just focus on the privilege of handling God’s precious grace.

“Lord, may your grace flow through me to everyone I meet today.”

from wau.org

Deeper relationship

Do you believe now? (John 16:31)

Toddlers and teenagers seem to “know” everything, don’t they? “I know how to swim,” declares the three-year-old. “Be careful.” “I know, Mom,” spouts the new teen driver as she rolls her eyes in exasperation. Almost any explanation offered is cut short with “I know.” And so often, you know they don’t really know.

That’s how Jesus must have felt when the disciples told him, “We believe that you came from God” (John 16:30). He knew they didn’t really know—he even warned that they would scatter and abandon him. 

There Jesus was, on the eve of his death, exhorting his disciples to take courage. He was the One about to face gruesome trials, and yet he was peaceful enough to offer comfort to his friends. All because he knew—he really knew—that the Father was with him. The disciples assented to the truth and value of what Jesus had told them, but Jesus’ “knowing” went beyond logical assent. It was rooted in a deep, personal, ongoing connection with the Father. Because of that connection, he was able to hold fast when the others couldn’t.

That same “knowing” that Jesus had is for you, too. You are created for it! You are fearfully, wonderfully, and exactly made so that you can know, as Jesus did on earth, God’s presence in you. Not in theory alone, but in actual practice. You can know it because Jesus died and rose, ascended to the Father, and sent his Holy Spirit to live in your heart. He did all this so that you could live in peace and live courageously every day, knowing that he has overcome death for you.

Take a few minutes right now to tell Jesus that you want these truths to take root inside you. Ask him to make it even more personal to you. And then hold on to that connection as you go about your day. When situations arise that shake your confidence or threaten your peace, turn to the Lord, and ask, “What are you thinking right now? What do you want to tell me here?” Listen for his answer. He may surprise you, but he will always reassure you and comfort you.

“Jesus, take me into a deeper relationship with you. I want to know you better today than yesterday.”

from wau.org

self-giving, not taking

This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. (Genesis 2:23)

Aren’t weddings beautiful? One thing everyone can see at a wedding is the joy on the face of the groom as he sees his bride walking toward him down the aisle of the church. But no smile down through the ages has been bigger than that of Adam, when he set eyes on the woman God presented to him. Gazing on her beauty, he finally understood who he was and the purpose of his life!

Up to this point, Adam was all alone. Yes, the other animals made engaging companions, but Adam knew that he was different. After all, do animals ponder the night sky or ask why things are the way they are? What’s more, only Adam had the desire and capacity to interact with God. Now there was another—a woman—who shared all of this with him. As different from Adam as she was, Eve was still a suitable partner for him. Together, they learned that they were created with a unique purpose—and to be a unique and exclusive gift to each other.

At retreats and youth conferences around the world, young women are learning about the dignity they have as daughters of God. Their hearts lighten at the message that the men in their lives are called to treasure and honor them. They are relieved to learn that they don’t have to settle for a lesser way of relating, one based primarily on physical attractiveness or sexual performance. For their part, young men are learning of the high calling they have to honor, protect, and cherish women. They are learning that they are created to give of themselves, not to use people for their own pleasure.

So it’s all about self-gift, not self-gratification. It’s about treasuring the gift that we are to each other. The question is, “How can I become more self-giving?” Here’s one easy way to start: make it a point every day to tell your spouse how much you love and treasure him or her. Start with that, and God will bless everything else.

“Father, you created me to love and be loved. Help me to break out of patterns of isolation and selfishness so that I can know deeper communion with you and those you have placed in my life.”

from wau.org