VEHICLE No. 3 [RELATIONSHIPS]
Many major cities have an HOV lane or a “High Occupancy Vehicle” lane. These are to be used only when traveling with a minimum of two people in the vehicle. These lanes allow those in transit to arrive at their desired destination much faster than they could if they’d been traveling alone. If singer Tom Cochrane is right, and life truly is a highway, then God’s plan for you is to be on the road toward a real relationship with Him, and He expects you to be using the HOV lane.
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)
Simply put, we are better off doing life in close relationships with others. We are supposed to rely on those closest to us for many aspects of life. There is nothing heroic or admirable about doing life by yourself. We live in a world today where people want to believe “I don’t need anyone else’s help,” and “I can take care of this on my own.” People today say things like this with pride, and wear self-sufficiency as a badge of honor. That just isn’t God’s plan for any of us. We’re designed to do life together.
As you can imagine, in order to carpool with someone on the highway, it helps if you are both heading in the same direction. The same holds true for your life today. It’s paramount that those you are doing life with are heading in the same spiritual direction as you are.
If you’re reading this now, odds are you want to be closer to God in a real and authentic way, a way that changes your life. Are those you are traveling with headed in the same direction? Are they desiring the same destination as you? If not, it might be time to pull over and make some changes, have some honest conversations, and start traveling with like-minded people. Conversations like that won’t be easy, but if people really care about you and your desires, they’ll understand. It doesn’t mean you can’t ever talk or spend time together; but if someone is going in a different spiritual direction than you are, it probably does mean their time spent with you and the influence they have in your life need to be diminished.
Movement Day 18
TO DO
- Spend some time talking to God today about what you’re thinking and feeling right now.
- Ask God to guide you as you are traveling toward an authentic connection with Him. • Then ACT on whatever God is guiding you to do.
TO READ
- MATTHEW 18
- PROVERBS 18
- Write down one thought.
TO REMEMBER
No relationship on earth is worth sacrificing your relationship with God for. God never asks us to sacrifice anything that He’s not planning on replacing. You are trusting God with your eternal life; you can trust Him with your relationships here and now.
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