People say that, “If you show me your friends, I can tell you the type of person you are.” I have found that statement to be true in most cases. We are who we spend time with. If we spend time with negative people, we will become negative ourselves; if we spend time with people that are given to gossip, we will tend to be willing to share information about others that may not be true.
1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
By spending a lot of time with people that are not committed to walking with the Lord, we will drift from our walk if we are not careful. Walking with the Lord is hard work, and we need to fight the flesh ourselves daily, but having close relationships with people that aren’t interested in the things of God makes it that much harder.
What about us? Are we being who we should be to lift others in their walk with God? We are not immune to the pull of the world. Are we living our life as a chameleon, willing to blend in with whatever environment we find ourselves in?
Our family knows us better than any one else on earth. They see us as we are when we aren’t putting on a front. Our spouses and children need us to be committed to them. Our relationship with those in our homes is the most important relationship that we have among those on earth. If we desire to have a right relationship with the Lord, we MUST be in right relationship with our family.
Disagreements will happen inside the home, and we must be willing to admit that we are not always right in them, nor are we always at fault. However, it is always best to be the first to be willing to make it right. Be willing to say, “I am sorry.” I know that may be difficult to do, we may even be in the right in our dispute, but we need to humble ourselves in order to be in right relationship with our spouse and children.
Colossians 3:18-20 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Human relationships are a blessing, God doesn’t intend for us to live alone in this world. Human relationships can help us in our desire to walk with God, or hinder us. Remember it’s not always someone else’s fault when we go astray. We may be hindering ourselves by harboring bitterness and anger towards another person. We need to let it go and seek a relationship with God. Let go of the hurts and forgive, not for the benefit of those that have hurt us, but for ours.
Being committed to right relationships means, that I will be the kind of person in the relationship someone else needs.