Realizing the Power In Relationships

John 17:20-21 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."

I love this Scripture...this prayer that Jesus prays, I believe, goes to the very heart of what we should be about.

Jesus wants us all to be one. What does that mean? Work together to help others, care about what happens to each other, rejoice when folks are happy, mourn when they are sad, celebrate victories, encourage in times of defeat.

The fact that Jesus has to pray for us to be one indicates that it is not our natural inclination to be one with each other. I think part of that is that people tend to think of themselves first and when everyone is doing that...well, it's messy. But if we truly want what God wants for us, we will make this a priority. Others first...let's work through the mess. God has His reasons for us to live as one....let's discover the heart of the reasons. Knowing God, He wants the best for us sooo let's work through the messiness. He won't make us do it alone; He's with us when we choose to open our hearts to those folks that are messy. He will weather the storm with us--when we fall down, get hurt, hit a wall-and when we experience wonderful relationships He will be there getting glory!

He' ll guide us if we open our hearts to Him and to the people He loves (He loves everyone, by the way-even us).

How to Grow in Love for Others

1 John 4:7-8, 19-21
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love...We love because he (Jesus) first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

What a "stay with you" statement Sean made in the message- Am I loving or just tolerant? whoa-
that will make us think!

We forget sometimes, that we don't need to have feelings of love for people...that is actually a freeing thought...it's how we choose to act or react towards people.

1 Corinthians is a great checklist and I will list it the way Sean remembered Pastor Dennis suggesting we think about it-

If I am impatient, I am not loving.
If I am unkind, I am not loving.
If I am envious, I am not loving.
If I am boastful, I am not loving.
If I am proud, I am not loving.
If I am rude, I am not loving.
If I am self-seeking, I am not loving.
If I am easily angered, I am not loving.
If I am impatient, I am not loving.
If I keep a record of wrongs, I am not loving.
If I delight in evil, I am not loving.
If I don't always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere, I am not loving.

There are too many of these that are true for me at least with some folks. Let's turn around with God and become Loving People!

Remember too, We are Desperate for God...Pray for Haiti and Prime Minister Alexis and President Preval.

What Kids (we all) Need for Caring Adults

Proverbs 17:22- A glad heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Encouragement is something we all need! And something we can all give...if we think before we talk. That reminds me of the verse in Ephesians-

Ephesians 4:29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Sometimes I think that I truly have the ability to encourage people and that is so important to me...so when I let my words fly willy-nilly and it hurts people, wow do I feel bad. You would think that bad feeling would make me more careful...well sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. So this week...the highlighted place in my life will be my mouth!

It is interesting- if we internalize that scripture (Ephesians 4:29), make it a part of our life's fabric--A peaceful home will be so much easier to establish.