Relationships PART 2

God Is My First Love:

I remind myself as much as possible…"God comes first before anything else!" The same goes with relationships. If God is your first love and you try your best to put Him first, that is completely awesome! If you can honestly say almost every choice you make, God is involved, and you cannot be moved by others mean remarks, or harsh criticism, and you always remember the only judgment that can move you or change you, is God, you are well ahead! Keep your eyes on Him as we try and walk a straight line.

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

We Want to Love as God Loves Us:

Our relationship should reflect God's relationship with us and the church. Our love is supposed to look like God's love. Of course we are not perfect, and we should never judge someone if they do not completely show it themselves. But we can guide one another to do our best. God's love never runs dry!

Ephesians 5: 1- 2 "Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

1 John 4:8 "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Psalm 117:2 "For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD." 

It's Marriage Or Nothing:

We see SO many young people getting into relationships now a days, with no true understanding of what it means to be in a relationship in the first place!

I have always wanted to ask a young couple walking down the street or just anywhere, "What does a true and pure relationship mean to you?" But of course I could never do that. So I usually just guess what they would say.

One thing I am going to ask my kids one day, when they start talking about girls/boys that they like, and how they see other young people around them in relationships, I will say, "Do you want to marry them one day?"

And if they answer with, "Oh no! I am too young to be thinking about that right now. I have no idea if they are even the one!"

I will gladly reply, "Then you are too young to be even thinking about having a relationship!"

Another quote from Pastor Nelson:

"You don't need to kiss a bunch of toads to find your handsome prince."

It is marriage or nothing! If you are in a relationship right now and you have no intention of marriage, or just haven't thought about it, I would encourage you to slow down and really think and talk about your current situation. Ask yourself," do I need to move on and get out of this relationship before it's too late?" It is sinful to be taking advantage of each other to fulfill your own needs, and the satisfaction of being loved. We are to get that from God first.

But if you deprive yourself of sinful indulgences, and you do not replace it with a godly alternative, chances are, you will fall even worse then you did before…

Matthew 26:41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Ecclesiastes 11:9 "Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;

Walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment."

Ephesians 5:3-5 "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."

Love and Forgiveness:

We KNOW this is important, but again, we must learn to apply it everyday... 

Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Proverbs 17:9
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.

Matthew 22:37–39
Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

We Get Our Joy From God First: 

Now this falls under the same category of being complete and not fulfilling your own needs. Let God be your joy! Praise him everyday for putting a roof over your head, for providing food for your family. Laugh at the moment you get a flat tire. God did it for a reason, and we need to praise him for it.

Romans 8:28-29 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters."

Die To Self Daily:

Literally every morning you wake up, you should remind yourself that you are a sinner, and what things you need to work on. It's always good to keep perspective, know who you are as a person, and be humble. In order to die to self, you must put God first, then you second. We must always challenge ourselves! 

1 John 2: 1-6

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

Communication:

I could go on and on with this subject! But I will try and keep it simple…

This is SO important in a relationship. If you want to move ahead in life, you need this essential!

You must pay close attention to each other and listen! In other words...you must be on the same page!

I read a good example online once about how communication in any kind of relationship is like a life giving river. When we cannot communicate, it builds a dam that stops the flow of water. This causes everything around it to suffer and slowly die. Seeds that were once planted cannot grow, and both people develop a strong thirst for their unmet needs, eventually causing cracks throughout the relationship.

MANY relationships fall through the cracks simply because of a lack of communication.

We may speak with people everyday, but true communication is entirely more personal. This is critical for growth in a relationship.

Proverbs 18:13

"To answer before listening, that is folly and shame."

James 1:19-20 "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires."

Part 3 will be up in a few days!!