Born Identity — Relationships

Proverbs 18:24 (MSG)

Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.

A recent series of talks at Gas Street was about relationships: how to build them and how to maintain them. Whether you are an extrovert whose very oxygen is people and company, or an introvert who seeks recharging with a good book or a Netflix box set, we all need relationships. 

When God said in Genesis, ‘It is not good for man to live alone,' it is clear he wanted us to live in relationships: platonic relationships, romantic relationships, work relationships, family relationships etc. Whilst relationships are a God-given provision, we live in a broken world and so our relationships get broken. We may feel attacked so we either attack or retreat. We may feel inadequate so we compare and contrast and head down that shame-drain; or we may feel unloved and unappreciated and so seeds of anger and resentment get planted and grow too quickly. 

Do not for a moment think we are immune from this as Christians! But what we do know (or should know) as Christians is our born identity. We know we are loved by the King of Kings, and he delights in each unique one of us. As we plant that seed in our hearts daily, it can lead us to new patterns of relationships. If we know we are loved and unique then comparison is gone. If we feel attacked or unappreciated, we might need to have an honest conversation, but one that focuses on resolution and is not fuelled by our insecurities. Free and confident in our Father’s love we can forge new deeper relationships, where we are free to rejoice and mourn (and everything in between) with those we love and care for. 

Prayer — Thank you again, Heavenly Father, for the confidence and security we have in our identity in you. Thank you for all the relationships I have, and I pray for deeper connections as I grasp more fully this God- given identity.