Relationships

God has been speaking to me about relationships lately. Through my sister, through my friends, and now through my quiet times. Krista asked the question, "what makes relationships worth fighting for". Since I only had room for a couple sentences, I said it's that we get to see God's characteristics in His image-bearers and that, since we are no longer enslaved by sin, we have hope that we can overcome evil with good and enjoy that relationship in eternity. My mom often says "people are always more important". That is one of the most helpful pieces of advice I've ever been given and I remember it almost daily. If I have to decide whether to go to that seminar I was excited about or go to lunch with a hurting friend, I will choose the friend. If I can shop online without the hassle of lines or turn a shopping trip into a bonding time with family, then I will choose family. I try to live my life in such a way that I am filled with the joy of relationships, and I work at those relationships, even when it gets tough. Now, I will be the first to admit that I am just horrible at that sometimes. But, it reminds me how important it is to love the people in my life. And, I don't mean like them. I mean love them. Like the song says, "love is a verb".

Ben and I are doing a study with some friends. The book is called Becoming One by Greg Laurie. In today's chapter, he talked about this verse:

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7

This chapter gave me a new perspective on the verse. Laurie says that "dwell" in this verse means "to be aligned with". What a poetic way to describe the relationship between husband and wife! It is my deep desire to be aligned with Ben. For him to know and understand me, to be of one mind. But, what really stuck out to me in this verse is the last part:

"that your prayers may not be hindered". Laurie says (in so many words) that if your prayers aren't being answered, maybe it's because you're not honoring your wife, but I saw it a different way. Feel free to comment and tell me your interpretation. I think that this verse is saying that our talks with God can be effected by our relationships. I believe that hindered prayers are discussions with God that are distracted, insincere or obligatory. I think I can have the most productive, satisfying time with my Lord when I am right with my husband.

Then, in my quiet time, I read Jeremiah 8. In verses 21 and 22, the Lord says:

"Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?"

God's emotion and pain is so evident here. No, evident is too weak a word. Obvious. Horror grips God, because His people sinned. They led themselves into pain. Our relationship with God is effected by our relationships, especially if we have been sinning in them.

Relationship is a complex topic. Unfortunately, I don't have the wisdom to fully understand it all, but I think it's fun and good to explore it in depth. After all, "it is not good for the man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). Nor for the woman, I think.