Prioritizing Relationships
WRITER: Phil Bray POSTED: November 21, 2024
THE PRIORITY OF RELATIONSHIPS
Priorities matter. What we prioritize as most important is what we spend our time doing. Many times those priorities are unconsciously held. We are often not even aware of what we value most in life, what we believe will bring about the most gladness to our hearts and lives. Acts 2:28 declares that God “has made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.” God’s presence in our lives is the source and means of our unending gladness. Yet, the activities we spend the most time doing and the people we spend the most time with often do not draw us closer to God. Many times they lead us further away from God and thus further away from the gladness He promises.
How then can we maximize our time with God? How can we draw near to God? James says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (Jam 4:8). There are many practices, habits, or disciplines in life by which we can experientially draw near to God and experience the joy and wonder of His presence. One of those habits is communion or fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Listen to God’s instruction in Hebrews 10:19-25, “Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
Drawing near to God, holding fast our confession of hope, and thinking of how to best stimulate one another to love and good deeds are all pointing toward the same reality. We draw near to God as we hold fast to our confession of hope and as we think of creative ways to motivate and encourage one another to continued faithfulness. Drawing near to God is intimately connected to the relationships we form and utilize to enable one another grow in Christ. We help one another to draw near to God and thereby experience more and more of the gladness that comes by means of His presence.
We should thus prioritize the relationships we have with fellow followers of Jesus! We must stop neglecting gathering together with other followers of Jesus in order to focus on other activities and responsibilities. One of the chief ways we are enabled to draw near to God is the mutually encouraging relationships that occur within the church family. We encourage one another, pray for one another, weep with one another, laugh with one another, forgive one another, and love one another. God’s love and goodness are tangibly experienced through the interaction we have with fellow followers of Jesus who are in fact the body of Jesus (1 Cor 12).
If you would draw near to God then it is necessary to prioritize as most important the intentional gathering together with fellow followers of Christ for mutual encouragement and stimulation to love and good deeds. This gathering is not just the Sunday morning worship gathering. That is important, but not the primary place were this mutual edification occurs. You should regularly participate in a small group such as a Sunday School class or HomeGroup. You should eat meals with fellow followers of Jesus on a regular basis, for life is shared and we form intimate connections over meals. You should prioritize spending unstructured time with fellow followers of Jesus by inviting them over to your home to grill out, play corn-hole, or watch the game. We should spend time together with other families in the church family so that our children and spouses begin to develop deep and lasting friendships with other followers of Christ as well. As we share life together, formally and informally, we will begin to enjoy one another, encourage one another, weep with one another, pray for one another, and love one another.
As you experience the goodness of these relationships you will begin to experience the goodness and gladness of God’s presence in a very tangible way. Brothers and sisters the church family is indispensable for your growth in godliness, for your nearness to God. Prioritize these relationships for the glory of God and the gladness of your heart.
Priorities matter. What we prioritize as most important is what we spend our time doing. Many times those priorities are unconsciously held. We are often not even aware of what we value most in life, what we believe will bring about the most gladness to our hearts and lives. Acts 2:28 declares that God “has made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.” God’s presence in our lives is the source and means of our unending gladness. Yet, the activities we spend the most time doing and the people we spend the most time with often do not draw us closer to God. Many times they lead us further away from God and thus further away from the gladness He promises.
How then can we maximize our time with God? How can we draw near to God? James says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (Jam 4:8). There are many practices, habits, or disciplines in life by which we can experientially draw near to God and experience the joy and wonder of His presence. One of those habits is communion or fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Listen to God’s instruction in Hebrews 10:19-25, “Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
Drawing near to God, holding fast our confession of hope, and thinking of how to best stimulate one another to love and good deeds are all pointing toward the same reality. We draw near to God as we hold fast to our confession of hope and as we think of creative ways to motivate and encourage one another to continued faithfulness. Drawing near to God is intimately connected to the relationships we form and utilize to enable one another grow in Christ. We help one another to draw near to God and thereby experience more and more of the gladness that comes by means of His presence.
We should thus prioritize the relationships we have with fellow followers of Jesus! We must stop neglecting gathering together with other followers of Jesus in order to focus on other activities and responsibilities. One of the chief ways we are enabled to draw near to God is the mutually encouraging relationships that occur within the church family. We encourage one another, pray for one another, weep with one another, laugh with one another, forgive one another, and love one another. God’s love and goodness are tangibly experienced through the interaction we have with fellow followers of Jesus who are in fact the body of Jesus (1 Cor 12).
If you would draw near to God then it is necessary to prioritize as most important the intentional gathering together with fellow followers of Christ for mutual encouragement and stimulation to love and good deeds. This gathering is not just the Sunday morning worship gathering. That is important, but not the primary place were this mutual edification occurs. You should regularly participate in a small group such as a Sunday School class or HomeGroup. You should eat meals with fellow followers of Jesus on a regular basis, for life is shared and we form intimate connections over meals. You should prioritize spending unstructured time with fellow followers of Jesus by inviting them over to your home to grill out, play corn-hole, or watch the game. We should spend time together with other families in the church family so that our children and spouses begin to develop deep and lasting friendships with other followers of Christ as well. As we share life together, formally and informally, we will begin to enjoy one another, encourage one another, weep with one another, pray for one another, and love one another.
As you experience the goodness of these relationships you will begin to experience the goodness and gladness of God’s presence in a very tangible way. Brothers and sisters the church family is indispensable for your growth in godliness, for your nearness to God. Prioritize these relationships for the glory of God and the gladness of your heart.