USS Relationship
While the kids were in the backseats being entertained by a movie(hallelujah!), Annette and I used our drive on Sunday as an opportunity to know ourselves and each other better: we took an online personality assessment. As Annette read our respective results, we realized that it seemed to pretty much nail me on the head while seemingly being pretty far off in its assessment of Annette. One takeaway from this exercise for me was the reminder that, in large part, we are who we are because of the personalities that God placed in us while still in the womb. Sinfulness excluded, God has made us who we are and much of what we do and how we think is because of the personalities He’s given us. Thus, I need to be more thankful than I am that He’s made me very relational. Being around people and connecting with them is something I enjoy and something that comes naturally to me. But for many, this can be daunting, draining, and frustrating. Maybe that’s you?
To those of you who are not naturally relational but who press on in order to connect with and love others, I take my hat off to you. I don’t usually like doing things that don’t come easy to me so I don’t know how I would respond if I were in your shoes. My hope is that I’d prayerfully seek the Lord’s help and love people regardless. Because the fact of the matter is this: God primarily made us for relationship with Him but He also made us for relationship with other human beings. The first/greatest commandment and the second, which is like it, is all about affectionate connection and service to our Creator and our fellow creations (see Matt 22:34-40). Thus, regardless of personality, central to our call as Christians is to engage in authentic and vulnerable relationships with others, especially other Christians. Why do I say “especially other Christians”? Because the Bible is chalked full of commands to Christians to care for other Christians (see a list of many of the “one another” commands). I also say “especially other Christians” because Jesus said the world would know we are His by our love for “one another” (see John 13:35).
So while some of us like sailing and some of us don’t, and while some of us are naturally good at it and some are not, we’re all in the same boat: the USS Relationship. God is the Captain of this ship and we all have a job to do. And it’s while we do our job of loving others in relationship, that we’ll see that our various gifts are able to be used (especially those of an introvert)! And as people are being loved and our gifts are being used, which is a very beautiful thing, our Captain will receive much honor and the glory that is rightfully due Him.
The Leadership at EBC believes every person at EBC should be in a Life Group (small group) in order to have ongoing and authentic relationships with your church family. As Fall is kicking off, now is the perfect time to join one. Find one that will be a good fit for you personally.
What a great God we serve!
~Pastor Matt