Keith Radke joined me this month on the Lose Yourself Podcast, and we discussed the acronym R.E.A.L. – Relationships, Example, Accountability, and Leadership. The Wednesday blog post will look at each of these attributes individually this month. Today we start with the R for Relationships.
Relationships are complicated.
Relationships represent the best and worst of what life has to offer. In this ever-changing and increasingly digital culture, it is easy to isolate and limit exposure to the outside world. More people than ever before are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and distrust of others. Detachment and avoidance offer the illusion of control and safety, but they only deliver loneliness and despair. Christians should avoid the temptation to isolate themselves because humans were created to have relationships.
God
We are relational because we bear the image of a relational God. God’s triunity is the perfect relationship of the three persons of the Godhead. Likewise, God desires fellowship with us and for us to have a connection with his other creation.
God recognized man’s need for companionship.
“Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone;'” (Genesis 2:18)
Our spouses and our children are our most intimate earthly relationships. Families provide us our greatest joys and our deepest hurts. If our relationships are not grounded in faith, they can become shallow and self-serving. We are to honor our wives the way that Christ loves the Church. This model calls us to radical forgiveness as our imperfections are overcome and overshadowed by God’s grace. God grants us the ability to weather life’s troubles together in a way that deepens our relationships that grow in richness and beauty.
Salt and Light
Salt preserves and light illuminates. Christians are called to engage with their communities intentionally (Matthew 5:13–16). Withdrawing from the world prevents us from being agents of compassion who point to God’s glory.
Community of Faith
In the book of Acts, we see Christians practice radical generosity and support for one another. Christians help each other not lose heart and persevere in their Christian commitment (Galatians 6:9–10). The Body of Christ is a metaphor that describes how Christians all play an essential role in God’s Kingdom (Romans 12:4–5; Ephesians 4:12; Colossians 1:18). The Gospel transcends status, culture, and geography (Galatians 3:27–28), uniting all who believe. Corporate fellowship and worship are essential in having a growing and vital faith (Hebrews 10:24–25). We cannot substitute the growth we experience together by ourselves.
As our country emerges from a year of isolation, I hope Americans can rekindle our social connections and church involvement. We learned first-hand this year what it means to lose our ability to gather and connect with others. This experience illustrates the importance of human connection. Growth is best experienced with others, and there is no substitute for relationships. We help each other grow by providing accountability, wisdom, and encouragement to each other (Proverbs 27:17).
Furthermore, Christians should always reach out to the lonely and marginalized. As we emerge from this pandemic, there has never been a more critical time to seek out those who are isolated and in need of relationships.
Remember, we are made for relationships. God should be the center, example, and empowerer of our social connections.
