A Word From Keith

I am a born-again Christian. I do realize that phrase may hold different connotations to people. You may be thinking that I'm a Jesus Freak- and to be really honest, I am. I love the Lord. However, I am not religious. Sounds a bit off perhaps but I have come to realize that I can never be religious enough for religious people and that I am very uncomfortable around religious people. But I do love Jesus Christ and I am so incredibly thankful for His grace as I find myself requiring it regularly.

Keith, our pastor, preached about what he believes is the foundation of all relationships. He referenced scriptures from Matthew and Romans as holding keys to relationships:

Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Romans 13:8-12 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Keith pressed on to outline some thoughts about specific wisdom for any given relational interaction and exchange. He suggested the following:

• What if your circumstances were reversed?
• As we mature in Christ, so will our response to others in any given situation
• When deciding how to respond it takes prayer, probing and honesty- I find honesty to be very challenging. I find it much easier to push aside how I am feeling to keep the peace but that peace is a false peace...
• Unfulfilled expectations kill love- spend some time praying about this one. The more that I meditate on this point the more that it cuts me...
• Even when the other person does not do unto me what I would have them do I still need to do good to them. We are not excused from our obligations to love our neighbors as ourselves under any circumstances- that is very powerful and convicting.
• We need God's grace, healing and power to accomplish this commandment. We will not be successful to this end with out the Holy Spirit working in us from the inside out and the bottom up.
• Living this way kills selfishness
• This is a key that will release heaven on earth. Spend some time contemplating how the application of these principles would change your relationships.