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relationships that count

2 Timothy 2:22 (nlt) --- Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

I'm sure you have noticed this as well.  There are times when you get together with some people and time flies.  You talk and talk.  It doesn't seem to stop.

A couple times that week that has happens, and those moments and conversations and people make that scripture come alive.  It is those relationships that build us up, make us strong, help us run from wrong, lift us when we are down and remind us of what life is about.

Leave the wrong.  Paul wrote, "run from..."  How do you deal with the situations that tear you apart and pull you down?  Run.  Run to God and away from wrong.  Stand. Stand against what's wrong and stand up for what's right.

Pursue the right.  Right stuff, being faithful, love and peace.  That word 'peace' just won't get out of my mind.  You see, when I spend time with those people I spoke of, there is more and more and MORE peace in my life.  Those relationships help me pursue the right things.

It is important that we have friends and family who build us.  Church is to be like that.  Relationships are to be like that.

But way to often I hear about those relationships being battle grounds and in no way safety zones or places of peace.  We need the peace of God.  Big time, we need to people of peace and people who give others peace.  Counseling is just something I do in my profession as a pastor.  What I end up talking about more than anything else is communication that breeds peace.  

We need relationships with God and with others that build us into people of peace.  The only way for that to happen is to run toward God.  See that verse above.

Philippians 4:6-7 (nlt) --- Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Mark Batterson said this (and this is something not easy to hear but so true that it hit my heart today):
Pastors don't owe everyone in their church a close relationship. they owe them a close relationship with God and their family.
We need relationships that count.  That count for God and count for leading others to know His peace.  Lets make this happen!


[+] E-DEVOTIONS: written by Michael Harrison, lead Pastor, The Community Fellowship;  reason to encourage you to follow Jesus; archived at Michael's blog, http://michael.thecommunityfellowship.org/;  subscribe, unsubscribe or contact  mharrison@thecommunityfellowship.org.

Comments

Leo Gallant said…
Thanks for the reminder on running from evil. I am really trying to be diligent with that. Running from evil and running to Jesus to stay in love with Him!
Leo
June 28, 2009 at 12:15:00 AM EDT
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