At the end of the day and when all else fails, our most significant disappointments in life are usually something that is connected with our key relationships.
We can survive employment failures. We know that eventually we will not be able to maintain our athletic abilities, at least not at the same level that we are used to. We even realize that there will always be someone smarter or more ambitious who moves ahead of us on the ladder of success.
In light of those realities, we are left with our relationships with people who we chose to associate with, or who chose to associate with us, or who by little choice of our own, we are naturally related to.
These key relationships can be some of the most fulfilling places in our hearts. They can be life giving and heart warming. They can also be profoundly difficult and painful. They can be like a knife that penetrates our hearts and our internal bleeding is difficult or impossible to stop.
It has been this way since Genesis chapter 3, gets worse in chapter 4, continues to dissolve through chapter 11, is dealt with in chapter 12, but follows the same downward spiral throughout the rest of the Old Testament.
Then comes hope… the coming of the Messiah the the giving of the Holy Spirit who comes along side us to encourage, empower and transform our brokenness. And the focus of that transformation is primarily in our character and the character of our relationships.
We know that perfection will not be a reality until the Lord returns someday, but without the coming of Messiah and the giving of the Holy Spirit we would have no hope whatsoever this side of heaven and on this earthly exile.
This summer we will be focusing on relationships: in our marriages, in our families, in the workplace, in our neighborhoods, with our friends… you name it.
This will prove to be both encouraging and challenging as we face the unique world of relationships.
Kevin