Relationships are VITAL!! - part 1

I wrote this post back in May 2009 about "The Relationship Principles of Jesus."

Here are some sections from that blog and some wise words from Rick Warren......

God tells us that our dominant life value is to love. Because God is love, and because he created you to love you, he wants you to learn to love too. Learning to love is the #1 lesson God intends for you to learn here on earth. Life is the school of love. Jesus once said that the entire Bible can be summed up in two commands: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself.

Learning to love God and others is to be our highest goal, our greatest aim, our first priority, our deepest aspiration, our strongest ambition, our constant focus, our passionate intention, and the dominant life value of our lives. The more we learn to how to love authentically, the more like Jesus we become.

Selfishness must be replaced by unselfishness. Conceit must be replaced by compassion. Ego must be replaced with altruism. The focus on “me” must give way to “we.” It’s all about loving God and others.

But how?

In our fallen world where every heart and relationship is marred, broken, and damaged by sin, how can we apply the healing power of authentic love?

Learning to love unselfishly is not an easy task. It runs counter to our self-centred nature. Only Jesus can teach us the kind of love that heal, restores, and deepens relationships. And only Jesus can give us the power to love that way.