Good relationships matter

MAN is a social being. At his core, relationships matter to him, no matter how hard he tries to deny it. And that should not be strange. As Christians, we know that we are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1: 26). The revelation of God that we encounter in the earliest parts of the Holy Bible is that of a Divinity who is a social Being; a God who desires relationship. In the very first chapter of the book of Genesis, we are introduced to a God who placed value on relationships. When it was time to create man – the prime work of creation, God said:

Genesis 1:26  … Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

The above verse has been a source of ageless theological debate, but it evidently implied that the Godhead existed in community, and that God had recourse at a point to this community. John the Beloved, in the book of Revelation, severally offered us insight into the composition of this community. It is a rich array of personalities, with the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) at the top of the hierarchy.

After the creation of man, the Genesis account indicates that God had routine sessions of interaction with His creature – Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden. This sweet fellowship was truncated because of the Fall. Even after the fall, however, God continued to foster relationship with man, even though what was obtained for a long time was a stop-gap arrangement. The stop-gap arrangement continued until Jesus Christ came and restored our access to the Father. Through Jesus Christ, it became possible once again to enjoy a direct relationship with God, with all the attendant benefits.

Romans 5:8-11  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. …when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, …. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Today, are you enjoying that renewed relationship? That is the most important thing you should be doing now. Yes, there are many things that we as human beings can do with our time. There are many goals that we can pursue. However, none is as valuable as the goal of nurturing a rich relationship with God. It is our most important preoccupation. At the end of it all, it is our relationships, rather than our possessions, that shall count. All the material acquisitions that we pursue in this world will be of no real value in the end.

What is your relationship with God like? Do you have a good relationship with God? Think about it.

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