Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Relationships
“Loveless relationships–those that humiliate, deplete emotional energy, and exhaust the spirit–are a temptation because submission to certain forms of abuse, especially from family, all too often hooks people of faith who have big hearts, but not very big shields, and sometimes mistake low self-esteem for humility. Among the questions that can help assess the true nature of a relationship are these: “Is staying in this situation teaching me anything about love? Is it helping me become a more loving person? Is it allowing me to give and receive the grace, peace, and love of God?” page 197
God wants us to experience God’s healing power in our lives (read James 5:14-15). But as Marilyn McEntyre points out, sometimes we are the ones who are stopping that from happening. The questions she asks are really good ones to ask ourselves when considering why we are not experiencing God’s healing in our lives.
One of the things our culture is struggling with right now is being a “cancel culture”, one that writes off a person or organization or company when they make a big mistake. But McEntyre is not talking about walking away from people who make mistakes. Following Jesus means we do not have the luxury of writing anyone off! What she is talking about is using your power to disengage from relationships that are harming you, and using your power to change the relationships where you have the power to do so.
If you read the gospels, you see how this played out in the life of Jesus. Jesus didn’t spend all of his time with Pharisees, the religious leaders with power. He never expected them to be the ones to affirm, encourage and protect him. He knew better, so he spoke truth to them.
Pray that God would open your eyes to see the power that you have, to identify the relationships that are preventing you from experiencing God’s healing in your life, and to cultivate relationships that affirm God’s calling on your life.
This week’s devotions are based on the book Word by Word: A Daily Spiritual Practice by Marilyn McEntyre. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids. 2016.
Relationships
“Loveless relationships–those that humiliate, deplete emotional energy, and exhaust the spirit–are a temptation because submission to certain forms of abuse, especially from family, all too often hooks people of faith who have big hearts, but not very big shields, and sometimes mistake low self-esteem for humility. Among the questions that can help assess the true nature of a relationship are these: “Is staying in this situation teaching me anything about love? Is it helping me become a more loving person? Is it allowing me to give and receive the grace, peace, and love of God?” page 197
God wants us to experience God’s healing power in our lives (read James 5:14-15). But as Marilyn McEntyre points out, sometimes we are the ones who are stopping that from happening. The questions she asks are really good ones to ask ourselves when considering why we are not experiencing God’s healing in our lives.
One of the things our culture is struggling with right now is being a “cancel culture”, one that writes off a person or organization or company when they make a big mistake. But McEntyre is not talking about walking away from people who make mistakes. Following Jesus means we do not have the luxury of writing anyone off! What she is talking about is using your power to disengage from relationships that are harming you, and using your power to change the relationships where you have the power to do so.
If you read the gospels, you see how this played out in the life of Jesus. Jesus didn’t spend all of his time with Pharisees, the religious leaders with power. He never expected them to be the ones to affirm, encourage and protect him. He knew better, so he spoke truth to them.
Pray that God would open your eyes to see the power that you have, to identify the relationships that are preventing you from experiencing God’s healing in your life, and to cultivate relationships that affirm God’s calling on your life.
This week’s devotions are based on the book Word by Word: A Daily Spiritual Practice by Marilyn McEntyre. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids. 2016.
