Based on “Great Relationships” by Pastor Dave Folkerts; 5/12-13/12,
Message #DF165; Daily Devotional #4 - “Be on Your Guard”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us. (Romans 5:5) God’s Spirit within us gives us the ability to love just like He wants us to. Our natural tendency is to pay attention to our own needs and put ourselves before others. It is God who transforms us by adopting us into His family and giving us the grace to relate to others as we should. Human relationships are interwoven into our entire lives, affecting everything we do. God wants His love to flow through us, manifesting in the way we relate to those around us.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8) Our character is often a powerful testimony of our faith. Before we open our mouths to speak, our character has often ‘spoken volumes’ about who we are and what we stand for. How, exactly, do we relate to our loved ones and the people around us? While we cannot underestimate the complexity of human relationships, God fully understands the dynamics and can help us by His Spirit. After we have received Jesus as Savior and begin to follow Him, the love of God within us positively affects our relationships. The Holy Spirit will continue to work on our character, if we allow Him. This is an area where we never completely ‘arrive’ until we meet the Lord. The Holy Spirit helps us in our relationships as He conforms us to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Make every effort to live in peace with all men and be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14). As believers, it is the love and forgiveness we have received freely that motivates us to love others (Matthew 10:8). Even when we think that someone is undeserving of our love and forgiveness, consider that God loves and has forgiven us more than we ever could. Keep God’s Word close to your heart and determine to live at peace with everyone around you. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and don’t be ignorant of the devices of Satan to cause disaccord in our relationships. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3)
Cultivating (Additional Reading): 1 John 4:7-21
LO
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.