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Thursday 18 March

Loving others

Putting others first is at the heart of healthy relationships! As Christians we have Jesus as a model – the most unselfish person who ever lived, who gave his life so we can receive the extravagant love of God the Father. As we grow in knowing this deep love of God for us, we can learn to love others deeply.

How can we love others better?

(1) Be present: The most desired gift of love is focused attention. Central to this is affirming, non-judgmental listening. Learning not to interrupt or immediately give advice is a discipline worth cultivating.

(2) Be positive: Affirmation and encouragement have huge power.

(3) Be honest: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” (Proverbs 27.6). We all have blind spots and need others to help us see them!

(4) Give wise counsel: One of the greatest gifts we can give and receive from each other is Holy Spirit-inspired counsel.

> Look at these four areas and consider which you most need to grow in. Ask God to fill you with his love, power and wisdom to empower you to become a better friend.

Tuesday 16 March

Levels of Connection

 Not all relationships are or should be on the same level. We have four spaces for relationships: an intimate space for close friends and family, a personal space for conversations with friends, a social space for acquaintances, and a public space. These circles of connection can be seen in the life of Jesus: Jesus had THREE close friends (Peter, John, James), TWELVE disciples, 72 leaders whom he involved in his ministry, THE CROWDS, who he ministered to.

The great news is that Jesus set up a community that we can all be part of: the church. Not everyone has a healthy family or close circle of friends, but we can all become part of Jesus’ family! Pastor Rick Warren says, “Being included in God’s family is the highest honour and the greatest privilege you will ever receive. While your relationship to Christ is personal, God never intends it to be private. In God’s family you are connected to every other believer, and we will belong to each other for eternity.”

> Thank God for the key people in your life.
> Consider joining a church if you are not part of one. Consider joining a small group in your church, if you aren’t part of one yet.

Monday 15 March
Not good to be alone

 Loneliness is one of the greatest problems we are facing today. It is bad for our health. In the biblical creation account God says, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2.18). And so he created ‘another’ – a woman and wife for him. While this passage celebrates the special place of marriage, it has a wider application: we are not designed to be alone.

However, in many relationships we can experience
(a) no connection: through circumstances or choice we fail to connect, to be invested in other people
(b) bad connection: a pull towards a person who is making you feel bad or ‘not good enough’

(c) pseudo-good connection: it can make us feel good for a time without meeting our deepest needs.

The goal for relationships is (d) true connection: you can be your whole self and both parties are invested and ‘safe’ for the other.

> Think about the four types of relationships above. Which describes most accurately where you are right now? Ask God tohelpyou develop healthy, live-giving relationships.