Spring is an elastic piece that reacts when it receives a force taking it out of its original state. Let’s rely on this metaphor to reflect on how to enjoy success in our relationships. Meditate on this post, leave your comment below and also share with your friends.
Versão em Português
Reading time: 5 min
The Spring Metaphor for Relationships
The spring means yourself. The hand of God is the force that brings you closer to others with a noble purpose. But once He withdraws His strength, you instantly return to the original position which is the solitude. Let’s see how this constantly occurring movement represents a life of success in your relationships.
Since when we arrived in Dallas for a time of training at the Christ for the Nations Institute, we perceive God directing us to a special time of solitude with Him. Far from our relatives and friends of Brazil, we find ourselves amidst a mix of cultures. We have neighbors from dozens of countries with many different customs. And getting to know other people and their habits fascinates us.
In this context, when we stop to think about our relationships, Rapha loves the idea of being with people. I’m less relational than she is. I also love spending time with other people, but I can spend many days alone, without this being a problem for me. While I love being quiet and thinking, Rapha loves to talk and interact with people. We are different and this is wonderful!
The Law of Relationships
Talking about this contrast, we agree that the most important of all relationships, and that we decide to prioritize, is with God. A time of worship and meditation in the morning has become our absolute priority. But when we look at the Bible we see that relating to God and to people are two inseparable things.
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Jesus, Gospel of John 14:15
Jesus said that if we love Him, we will obey His commandments. And he himself summed up the first (or greatest) of them as loving God above all things. He then added that the second is similar to this, which is to love your neighbor as ourselves. If it is similar, both are equally important.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment.39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus, Gospel of Matthew 22:37-38
The inconvenience of balance
Convents, for example, were never the idea of God but of wrong men. The idea of serving and loving God withdrawing from society for a long time is neither in the Bible nor meaningful. The term convent itself comes from the Latin conventus, which means “assembly,” originally the Roman assembly, where citizens met for administrative or judicial purposes. It is more about being with people than about distancing oneself from them. Do not move away from people.
On the other hand, trying to be relevant and popular is not the secret to healthy relationships. We know that the key for success has not yet been discovered, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. Do everything possible to have peace with everyone around you. But remember that whenever you please one group of people, you will displease another. Do not waste your time trying to be friends with everyone. This is an illusion.
Lastly, balance is also not the best word for relationships. This term has been widely used. But it is not enough simply to try to balance the time you invest with God and with people. This presupposes your own effort to manage something beyond your capacity.
The right impulse
So the only way to get right in your relationships, avoiding too much suffering, is to truly privilege your communication with God in your daily life. Give Him your first thoughts and words as you wake up. Often your dreams are also revelations to you, solutions to problems that will still arise. Pay attention to what God has to say to you and honor him with your words at the beginning of each day.
C. S. Lewis said that pain is God’s megaphone for a deafened world. I’d rather hear God whisper in my spirit as I listen to his voice. So He does not have to strain with me.
If you are willing and obedient,
Isaiah 1:19
You shall eat the good of the land;
Supernatural elasticity in your relationships
In this way, as you prioritize to hear God and be grateful for His voice, provision and favor, He Himself will bring the strategic relationships around you. Connections you never imagined, excellent doors open to you and great results will be a consequence of God’s movement upon your life. Let the hand of God push you or pull you in the direction He chooses.
This is not the most natural. But if you accept this process as a spring that goes back and forth, God will bless you with healthy and prosperous relationships. From time to time, He will withdraw His strength that draws you into your friendships, and in those moments you will simply enjoy full satisfaction in solitude with the Holy Spirit. If you allow this elasticity, many shocks will be cushioned and a beautiful movement of confidence and intelligence will mark your relationships.
Prayer: God, I recognize your kindness and sovereignty over my life. I decide to entrust my relationships to you, believing that your movement will bring blessing and full satisfaction to my life. I count on your help so that my relationships will be healthy and glorify you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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