Have you ever heard the saying, “A dog is a man’s best friend?” Sure, dogs are great. You can tell them whatever you want and they don’t judge you. They never gripe about their health or how difficult their day was. And they are always there to greet you when you come home… complete with a wagging tail. However, if your dog is your best friend… it’s not good.
Adam enjoyed walking and talking with God in the cool of the garden. It sounds perfect! But even the Lord said it’s not good for man to be alone. What’s not good? How can it not be good when God and man were hanging out together? Well, we were created for relationship with each other and without that we are incomplete. The fact is that we have been wired by God for relationships.
It’s not about just “Jesus and me.” Sometimes we think when it comes to our spiritual growth all we need is Jesus, but that my friend, is just not true. Your spiritual growth has everything to do with the relationships with which you are surrounded – especially your family.
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
What proves that we really are followers of Jesus? The way we love each other! Just let that one soak in for a minute. Our love for the Lord is best seen in the context of our love for others. Our spiritual growth is seen best by the way we treat our families, co-workers, friends, and neighbors.
For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.
Wow… God will not forget how we have shown our love for Him in the way we have cared for others! And did you catch that one of the keys to us not becoming spiritually dull has everything to do with us loving others as long as life lasts? Let’s start right at home, loving and caring for our families with a deep love.
Pastor Kevin Berry
Prayer: “Father, thank you for creating me for relationships. I pray that my deep love for you will be evident in my deep love for others, starting with my family. I want to keep my spiritual edge sharp and not become spiritually dull, so I ask that you would grant me opportunities today to love and serve them. Thank you! Amen.”
