MEANINGFUL LASTING RELATIONSHIPS
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.
1 John 3:1-2 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
Outside of our relationship with God and with ourselves the third most important relationship in our lives is with our parents. The way we relate to our parents forms a template for other relationships in our lives. Some were gifted with a great relationship template from their parents. They learned how to love, serve, respect, trust, and communicate because that was modeled in their home. But for many in our culture the template has a lot of cracks and deficiencies. This is often most true in the case of a relationship with an earthly father. In our country they say that 40% of children will be born without a male influence in their life. There is no father present to help shape the relational template. In addition to those without physical fathers present there is a large group with fathers who were emotionally absent or abusive. For those who grew up in these environments they often struggle with how to view God as a Father. For them it is like trying to see something in a mirror that is has multiple cracks--the picture is too distorted. Here is the good news, regardless of the family situation you had, God invites you into His family! When we decide to become followers of Christ, we discover that we become children of God. Almighty God is now our Father. He gives us a new template of a relationship with dad. This is why Jesus came to die on a cross. He paid the price for our sins so that we could have a relationship with a Heavenly Father. Don't let the absence or abuse of an earthly father mess up your template. Receive God's new design.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I accept You as my Savior and Lord. Thanks for dying on the cross so I could become a part of God's family. Father God, help me to have a renewed template. Help me to have meaningful, lasting relationships.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”