Connecting Point: WHERE IS THE SKELETON?

No one is perfect, well, last time I checked. But, past failures and sins need not define our future, and I am thinking about right now. Is a failure haunting you?

Through Jesus Christ we find redemption when we seek his forgiveness. “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved…. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” (Romans 10:9-13).

I cannot bring you more hopeful words from my pen as I contemplate you and think about today’s message to you.

Do Christians only need Jesus and the Holy Spirit? No! God created us to need other people, this is a core premise found in the New Testament. It is one of those things that Christ brings to his Jewish heritage. Interspersed throughout the N.T. we find “one another” used over 100 times. In fact, we also discover in Genesis chapter 2 that Adam was alone, so God purposely created Eve for companionship. There is no doubt, interpersonal relationships are part of God’s design. We are born, and then we are born again.

Over the past decade numerous church leaders have raised a valuable point spoken in various forms; relationships can cause us to hurt the most and heal the most (Ben Bennett). As humans we can be very fickle and guarded. If someone hurts us our tendency is to pull or even fight back. The key to having healthy relationships is found through grace and forgiveness, creating spiritual and emotional wholeness. Indeed! I feel this support. And I hope you do too.

In the Free to Thrive series, Ben Bennett promotes five steps when any activating event occurs in our daily life. By “activating” he means a moment when disappointment and dwelling in it can lead us to relapse and give into negative behavior, and worse, sinfulness. One, identify the unmet longing you’re feeling. Stop and think about your response considering your emotions. Two, acknowledge the God-given longing that lies under that sensation.

Three, counter any negative core beliefs you may be telling yourself by the truth of God’s Word. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Four, seek

fulfillment of that longing in healthy ways. Emphasizing this week’s focus, we need to always be mindful of every relationship.

Surround yourself with people who honor God’s principles and who strive to have healthy relationships. Too many marriages fall apart because of unmet needs, isolation, and negative beliefs. Great friendships crash due to

unrealistic expectations and unresolved conflict. Remember…the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. It is greener when you water it. Foster and water your relationships.

And the last step: five, repeat as needed. These five steps can be a part of our daily lifestyle, allowing us to process our emotions, stress, and pain in a circle of safe people.

God has made us for more, this includes our relationships. I’m grateful that the Bible gives us answers to the hurts we face in life, we can thrive when we practice Biblical principles.