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What we need more than anything in any relationship is love.
The Bible tells us that God IS love. John 3:16 says it perfectly. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Sadly, there are times when it seems that having good relationships is more difficult than we would dare to admit. Why is that? Remember how TV shows used to say, “we interrupt our program to bring you this important message…” Well, here’s my important message: Read your Bible. Seriously, what I have been discovering ever since I made the Bible a daily discipline is how wrong I was about so many things and clueless about how to get it right.
Why are relationships, yes, even among the Body of Christ at times so challenging??!! Could it be that we fail to see how the Bible gives us clear and practical instructions for life—for relationships?
Consider this passage from Colossians 3:12-15:
Since God chose you to be the holy people he LOVES, you must clothe yourselves with tender hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with LOVE, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
These are not suggestions from the Apostle Paul!! These are divine orders that if obeyed will make us the kind of people the Lord wants us to be. Are we clothed in love, forgiving one another, being at peace with each other because Christ rules in our hearts?
Bacharach and David, a team of secular writers wrote a song some of you will remember called, “What the World Needs Now is Love.” It feels like these writers unwittingly uttered a prophetic word. What relationships need now is love, sweet love, God’s kind of love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.
If you would like to read the entire week’s message, click here to view/download the PDF.