As we re-calibrate mission, our core values begin with relationships.
Why? Because Jesus began with relationships. What is the greatest commandment?
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”(Matthew 22:37-40)
Jesus stresses that our relationship with God and our relationships with one another are central to all we do. Life and work are not about tasks, but love – loving God, loving others. Understanding the centrality of love in Jesus’ teachings, John points out, Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7) God is love, placing love in the center of all we are and all we do. God is love, therefore love is the most powerful force in the world. Think about this, love is not something that can be done alone, love requires relationship.
Bernadine Healy M.D. writes, As a physician who has been deeply privileged to share the most profound moments of people’s lives, including their final moments, let me tell you a secret. People facing death don’t think about what degrees they have earned, what positions they have held or how much wealth they have accumulated. At the end, what really matters and is a good measure of a past life is who you loved and who loved you. Love is everything.
Love requires a relationship – a who and you. And our Lord makes it clear that God and others are the “who”. So B4T starts with relationships. First with Jesus, then with our family, co-workers, friends and strangers.
Always remember, our assignment is to love people, and it is God’s assignment is to change people.
As you consider your workplace today, who can you reach out to befriend, love, build a relationship with?
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)
Everything that happens to us has first past through His love. God doesn’t just possess love as one of His character qualities like we humans describe one another, God IS love. He cannot be any other way. There is no other entity ever like this…. and He chooses to be with us & actually wants us.
Our vertical relationship with God and horizontal relationships with the world are meant to work hand in hand, with love as its cornerstone foundation.
We have been created for positive relationships! When we are obedient and use our energy to champion the growth of our relationship with God and with our fellow man we experience a joy previously unknown. Beautifully, this helps us remove self from the central position of our daily focus.
I think we fight loving each other as Christ loved the church because of its vulnerability. Loving as Christ loved is a truly selfless act and that scares us, but isn’t that what Lordship is in the first place? It is allowing Him to love others through us in a real way.