RELATIONSHIPS

I’M SURE WE HAVE ALL BEEN TO THE PLACE WHERE WE ARE READY TO THROW OUR HANDS UP IN THE AIR AND WALK AWAY FROM SOMEONE. THE RELATIONSHIP MAY HAVE BEEN A CLOSE AND PERSONAL ONE OR A MORE CASUAL ONE. EITHER WAY, WE CAN GET FED UP WITH A PERSONS CONSERVATION, ATTITUDE, BEHAVIOR OR SOME OTHER CHARACTER QUALITY OR LACK OF ONE. CONSIDER WHAT YOU ORIGINALLY BUILT THE RELATIONSHIP ON…SOME INCIDENT, SOMETHING IN COMMON, A MUTUAL FRIEND??????  THEN CONSIDER IF THE RELATIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO YOU TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT. I GUESS THAT SOUNDS PRETTY COLD BUT THINK ABOUT THIS…A RELATIONSHIP IS DIFFERENT THAN A FIENDSHIP.RELATIONSHPS CAN BE CASUAL, FRIENDSHIPS MORE PERSONAL AND INTENSE. AS A BELIEVER, I BELIEVE WE NEED TO BE MORE “ IF WE WERE, WE WOULD EXPERIENCE LESS PAIN AND HEARTACHE.

WHEN READING THE SCRIPTURE CAREFULLY, YOU GET THE IMPRESSION THAT JESUS WAS ERY DISCERNING IN HIS FRIENDSHIPS, PARTICULARLY BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION…HE WAS DOWN RIGHT PICKY! WE NEED TO BE AS PICKY IN OURS. WE ARE NOT GOD, AND DO NOT KNOW A PERSONS HEART SO IF HE WAS CAREFUL, WE SHOULD BE EVEN MORE SO. I DO NOT THINK I COULD ENTRUST MY INNER THOUGHTS TO A NON-BELIEVER. IN ALL PROBABLITY THEY WOULD NOT “GET IT.” HOW CAN THEY UNDERTAND US WHO ARE INDWELT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN THEY ARE NOT? IN MANY CASES, FRIENDSHIP WILL LEAD US TO SOMEONE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO. THAT BEING SO, THAT PERSON MUST BE TRUSTWORTHY AND DISCRETE AND OF COURSE HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST OR YOU WILL NOT BE ON THE SAME PAGE. WE MUST HAVE SIMILAR INTERESTS, AND IT IS HELPFUL IF YOU HAVE THE SAME ACQUAINTENCES/FRIENDS. AND VERY IMPORTANT…IT TAKES TIME TO DEVELOP. CASUAL RELATIONSHIPS USUALLY DO NOT DEVELOP INTO TRUE FRUENDSHIPS. JUST BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION, IN THE UPPER ROOM, CHRIST TALKED WITH HIS DISCIPLES…HIS HAND-PICKED FRIENDS…AND TOLD THEM HE HAD ELEVATED THEM TO TH OSITION OF FRIENDS…QUITE A COMPLIMENT, THAT I DO NOT THINK THEY UNDERSTOOD UNTIL MUCH LATER. HE TOLD THEM A FRIEND COULD BE TOLD THINGS AN ACQUAINTENCE COULDN’T, BUT THEY HAD SPENT THREE YEARS TOGETHER NIGHT AND DAY, AND KNEW EACH OTHER VEY WELL. REMEMBER ALSO, HE TOOK PETER, JAMES AND JOHN WITH HIM WHEN HE WENT AWAY TO PRAY, AGAIN A COMPLIMENT THEY WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND UNTIL LATER. IN CONCLUSION, IF GOD HIMSELF WAS CAREFUL WHO HE INVESTED FRIENDSHIP IN, SHOULDN’T WE BE DISCERNING, DEPENDING ON THE LORD TO ASSURE OR CENSURE A FRIENDSHIP? HE INSTRUCTED US TO “BE WISE AS SERPENTS, HARMLESS S DOVES,” WE NEED TO TAKE THAT ADVICE TO HEART.