Death or life. The decision seems easy, right? But it’s not when it comes to the words we speak. Our words are powerful, they can give life or death, encouragement or discouragement, they can even alter chemicals in our brains and the manifestation of our genetic code. Our words are important. So, “what do you say?”

What does it mean to be Christian in our culture? It means to love one another — beyond those you like, connect with, or agree with — which is no small task! Love isn’t just refusing to harm others. Love is acting to help others. It requires us to be courageous.

Just as salt is necessary for physical life, providing balance, suppressing bitterness, and enhancing sweetness, truth also balances and enhances our spiritual lives. However, when we provide truth out of proportion to grace, the end result is unpleasant, ineffective, and damaging.

When Jesus came to Earth, He came to a story that was already being written. A story filled with characters and teams who had agendas, beliefs, and for the most part, despised each other. Teams, or parties, that would fight in the streets, commit murder, and slander one another to further their own belief system.

Jesus invited them all to His table and taught them the most important thing of all: It’s not about your agenda; it’s about the person sitting across from you. It’s about love. Jesus invited them to the table and taught them table manners.

Jesus’ love and grace was scandalous and controversial. Jesus embraced people before people embraced Him. He understood a person’s value wasn’t connected to their culture, actions, past, or circumstances. People have value because we are created in the image and likeness of God.

It is becoming less and less likely for us to meet, talk to, and spend time with people who disagree with us. In the new normal the odds are high that we won’t associate with people who are different from us. Not only do we not associate with them, but we dislike them because they are different. We have lost the ability to have conversations and to love all because we disagree.

People have never been more connected to one another than they are now. Technology has made the world smaller than it has ever been. Human interaction is only a button away. Yet people have never felt more lonely then they do now. A recent study showed that 70% of people report feeling/being lonely. This is a terrifying fact when you consider that real relationships dictate so many things about our lives: how long we live, how happy we are, even our self-esteem and self-worth.

In an increasingly connected world, we are increasingly less connected. How can we begin to experience real relationships and community?

The Tension: The push and pull of staying where you are and the desire to get where you want to be.

If you stay where you are, you forfeit your future.

Jesus calls us to serve one another. The quality of our relationships with the people around us directly reflects the quality of our relationship with God. If we love God, we will love others. If we serve God, we will serve others. If we are at odds with someone else, we are at odds with God.

He taught us that if we want to be great, we have to get off of our “thrones,” and put others first.

No one comes to faith alone. There is someone in your story of faith who reached you, impacted you, and invited you to follow Jesus. Now, our purpose as Jesus followers is to be that someone in someone else’s story of faith.