Our Relationship with God and Others
Alone. We have all been there before. Loneliness has little to do with being in the presence of people. A person can be physically by themselves and be very comfortable with who they are in relationship to other people and to God. Another person can be in the middle of a crowded room or be sitting right next to somebody and be all alone. Mother Teresa wrote: The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being alone.
Loneliness is not God’s plan for our life. God created us to be in community with God and with others and God gives us the church to help in our relationship with God and our relationships with others.
Over the next two weeks we will look at our relationships: how to strengthen our existing ones, when to end bad ones, and how to create new relationships and friendship that give us life.
Together replaces alone.
August 22nd – One: The Loneliest Number
Many of us like to be self-sufficient. Others of us like to have control. And others like to compete and be on top. But our need for independence, power, and position can prevent new relationships from happening and also damage our existing interpersonal relationships. We will discover that more than one is better than one.
August 29th – Love | Hate : Love | Like
Hate is often described as the enemy of love. We will look at another alternative: like being love’s biggest enemy. Liking is being friendly and polite when it is convenient. Love is sharing life, serving, forgiving, and listening whether it’s convenient or not. We will be encouraged to forge loving relationships that give us life.
We will be sharing in Holy Communion on August 29th.
Read the entire chapter each day, reread the selected verses, and then reflect on the selected verses. Write down and pray about what God is trying to teach you about relationships with others and your relationship with Him.
August 16 Exodus 2 (verses 21-25)
August 17 I Kings 19 (verses 9-18)
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