Grace

We’ve all made mistakes, and we’ll all make some more. The line that separates the best of us from the worst of us is a narrow one.

Your brother, sister, coworker, spouse, child, and friend all would like me to remind you that they each need grace. Just like you need forgiveness, so do they. There comes a time in every relationship when it’s damaging to seek justice, when settling the score only stirs the fire. There comes a time when the best thing you can do is accept your brother and offer them the same grace you’ve been given.

Portions of this MMM have been chosen from The Great House of God.

Relationships

 

Life moves at the speed of relationships. I am not sure where I first heard that statement, but it resonated with me immediately. Think about the relationships in our lives…

• God
• Spouse and significant others
• Children
• Parents and siblings
• Close friends and confidants
• Church groups
• Mentors and mentees
• Business partners
• Employees and co-workers
• Clients and vendors

 

Relationships are valuable and important to us. I do not believe we are meant to do life alone. The people we surround ourselves with are critical to how we navigate life. Failed and broken relationships can be devastating. Strong and healthy relationships can be lifesaving. As vital as relationships are, they are seldom easy. They can be challenging and messy. They require work and attention. Relationships need to be valued, nurtured and protected.

Life moves at the speed of relationships. Are you investing enough in yours?

People need loving the most when they deserve it the least. -- John Harrigan

I do not know John Harrigan or the context of this quote, but it is a challenging thought.  It is so easy to love people who are easy to love!  Cute kids, loving spouses and lifetime friends are easy to love.  They make us happy; we enjoy being around them and loving them.  More challenging to love might be the demanding and unfriendly boss or the self-centered co-worker.  And then there are the homeless, the sick, the chemically dependent, and the criminals.  What makes them deserve love?  Possibly those who need it the most are those who we truly do love, but because of the current circumstances we might not feel them to be deserving.  Consider the misbehaving teenager, the angry friend, and the betraying spouse.  It may be the hardest to love those close to us when they have wronged us or misbehaved.  Biblically we are called to love, not just those that are easy to love.