The Mindset of Christ
Shereen and I went to a friend for dinner a little while ago, and he was saying that we are the "throwaway" generation. If something doesn't work, throw it away and get a new one instead of fixing it. And he said this: now people are treating their relationships the same way. If it's not working, discard it. Get a new one.
Jesus’ Resurrection Power
Now, we are a week down the road from Easter, and I wonder if we have forgotten the resurrection power of Jesus already? He of course conquered death Himself, and conquers death for us that we may have eternal life. But even here on earth He brings things back to life, and one thing that He is great at resurrecting is relationships.
Perhaps we are the throwaway generation, when it comes to relationships. When things get tough, we bail out instead of buckling down. In the marriage prep sessions I do, we always talk about deciding to work on the relationship no matter what. The moment one of you checks out, you're in trouble. It's when you both commit to working on the relationship that you can get through pretty much anything.
Relationships Require Investment
But it's not just marriage. It's friendships. It's family relationships. It's relationships with work colleagues and social friends, and church friends. If you don't work on these relationships, they can go wrong and eventually fizzle out.
This is not new, because a large portion of the New Testament deals with relationship issues! Time and again Paul would write to the Christians to try and help them resurrect their relationships – or stop them from ruining their relationships to begin with.
One of the great New Testament passages that deals with relationships is from Paul's letter to the Philippians in chapter 2. Picture a church with some strained relationships, or people in church dealing with tough relationships in their lives, receiving this letter from their mentor in the faith and reading these words:
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:1-5 NIV11)
The Same Mindset as Jesus
The same mindset as Jesus in our relationships! Wow! That's a tall order... But isn't that what it's all about? Wasn't the whole reason Jesus came to show us what love is? So that our relationship with God can be resurrected, and our relationships with each other can follow suit?
That was His mission. That is His mission. Love God, love people. Come back to God, come back to each other. Don't just discard God when you struggle. Don't just walk out on people when times get tough. Come back, and work on it, and encounter the resurrection power of God at work in your relationships.
