The Author of Relationships

God is the author of relationships.

We are singing, “I’m desperate for you,” but God was so desperate for us that He gave His one and only Son so we could be with Him in heaven.

Imagine God who owns prime real estate in Heaven, which is better than Rodeo Drive, walking around saying “Wow! This is mine–all mine!” No! There are pearly gates and streets of gold. There are walls of jasper, and He wasn’t satisfied until He had somebody to share it with.

In order to share it with us, it cost him His very life.

God is not only the author of relationships, He’s all about relationship.

He’s all about relationship with Him. The Bible tells us to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). It also says,

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him (1 John 3:1, NIV).

We’ve been adopted. 
We’re not an afterthought.
We’re only in this room because He choose you.
You didn’t choose Him.

You only love Him and feel the love that you have for Him because He first loved you (1 John 4:19).

God wrote the Bible, and the Bible is the relationship manual. It tells us how to have relationships.

Unfortunately, we are at a point in culture where we don’t think we have to listen to the relationship guru, which is God.

God is the relationship guru. 

Throughout the years, we’ve heard a lot of sermons on relationships. God wants us not only to have relationships with one another—that’s why he’s made the body of Christ–He wants our relationship with each other to be healthy. Here are eight Scripture passages to encourage and strengthen our relationships.

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16-17, NIV).

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them (Titus 3:10, NIV).

For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder (2 Corinthians 12:20, NIV).

A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends (Proverbs 16:28, NIV).

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity (Proverbs 17:17, NIV).

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24, NIV).

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV).

Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die (Proverbs 23:13, NIV).

Next week I will share more on what it looks like to have relationships by carrying one another’s burdens including your own.

Question: Are you struggling with a relationship? Go to God, spend some time in His Word, and ask Him today how He would have you respond.