I placed the word Relationships in quotation marks because the word is so loaded with implications. Fundamentally, a relationship is nothing more than the interaction between two things, be they living beings, parts of a structural system, or organs within an organism.
Men and women, or
even friends of the same sex, tend to form expectations regarding one another. One such expectation is a belief that one party belongs to the other. People, however, must not try to “possess” one
another. Only God has the right to possess people, as He created us
for that very purpose. So when we become possessive we usurp God’s
authority by trying to own what can only belong to Him.
That is
equally true for our accruing material
possessions. While we don't usually think of relationships with things, if they influence our lives, there is a relationship in play. Whether as substitutes for God and His ample provision,
which is idolatry, or
hoarding them as a rainy-day provision, which is miserly,
excess accumulations here on earth seem to bely our hope for eternity.
To follow Christ effectively, we must constantly examine the character of our relationships with people, and things.
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