Resurrection Life Church

Because we are created in the image and likeness of God we have the DNA of relationships at the core of our being.  We were designed with three relationships in mind: with God, ourselves, and others.  When one relationship is out of balance the others are equally affected.

The beauty of our relationships with God, ourselves (self & each other in the Body of Christ) and others help make this balance right. Roman 12 teaches us how to relate to God, ourselves and others (non-Christians and enemies).

God is all about relationship.  He created man so that we could be in relationship with each other.  He said that “it’s not good for man to be alone.”  From that statement God created Woman.  However, that statement has much more implications than just men and women relationships.  It is also about all of humanity and the importance of relationship.

Guest and friend Nettie Winters of Mission Mississippi shares these points and more in this week’s message about “Right Relationships.”  “A Right Relationship with God, with ourselves and with others will Result in Right Living.”

In today's DNA testing world we are desperate to know who we are. We have generations that have grown up with no idea who they are and what their purpose in life is. With the proliferation of information and social media we are as confused as to who we are as a termite is in a Yoyo.

Who we are is important and we can't find that with a DNA test. Though they are exciting, fun and informational the real way of finding out who you are is through our Father God and what He says and determines about you.

Too many in our society see themselves as victims.  They see themselves as victims of society, bad families, the system, and the list could go on.  However, we are not victims we are children of God and He and He alone gives us our value and identity.

Family is not as important in our society as it once was. Or is it? People desire family and they desire relationship. Most people whether they admit it or not are desperate for intimate relationship with others. Relationships where they are accepted for who they are and are loved for who they are. A family does that. But a family gives and receives more than just acceptance and love.

We get our identity from family. Our father God gives us our identity. When we know who we are and who we belong to we have a confidence that the rest of the world envies. We are not orphans we belong to family. Orphans typically seek their own and are not concerned with others. They are just surviving, getting by. It’s a survival of the fittest. Our family is part of who we are.

We have a responsibility if we are in a family. The Church is a family and God is our father. We are responsible for each other. Families take ownership of the family and family members. However, most churches function more like an orphanage than they do a family. We are here for each other and serve each other not looking out for our own interest but that of others.

Relationships are not always easy to flesh out. Family relationship are especially more difficult. Why? Because we are closer to each other and we all have expectations of each other.

There are a few "expectations" that are somewhat "a given" in family. First family members are expected to participate. Why? Simply because they are part of the family. When we comprehend the depth of our family relationships we don't participate because we have to but because we want to. The second expectation is to build up one another. Most "a typical" families tear each other down and belittle each other. Not so in the family of God. We are expected to encourage, build up, honor and love one another. Thirdly we are expected to stay together. When we do we become stronger as a unit and as individuals.

Pastor Allen shares, funny and life-changing stories about how the family dynamics in the Church of Jesus Christ must be present, if we are ever going to be the family that God wants us to be and change our world in the process.

The family is not an invention of modern society but an idea and invention from God Himself. Our personal family and the family of God (the church) have dynamics that make it work and bring hope, life and love to the world around it. God has outlined those dynamics in the book of Ephesians and through out His word.

If we are going to be able to do more than survive but thrive in this world and impact change in it we are going to have to listen, and obey what God has said. Not from religious duty but from hearts of love for God and each others.

This first part of a two part series deals with how we are to treat one another in the family.  It also deals with how we interact with one another, how we are to relate to each other and how it affects the world in which we live.

We are a family.  For some people family has negative connotations, however our Father God is a good God no matter what our earthly family was like and He wants us to love one another the way He loves us.