“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3
Have you ever considered how many relationships exist in your life? Have you considered how many of these relationships are really healthy relationships – working well and all parties involved enjoy the benefits of it? Have you ever wondered why some of these relationships are stronger than other relationships and why some are so hard to keep up with? Do you know why we even need relationships at all? In this world where we are constantly educated – actively or inactively: by other humans or by our lifestyles – to only trust ourselves, is there even a need for healthy social relationships?
To find the answer to the last question we need to look at our origins. By that, I don’t mean so much to find out who our parents are and how our relationship with them is, but rather going back to the creation of mankind, recorded in the book of Genesis. The Bible tells us, we are created by God to be social individuals. The word ‘social’ describes the need for companionship. Relationships play a vital role in society; it is the fabric that binds us together. We find in Genesis that God created man to live in a perfect, beautiful and harmonious environment called the garden of Eden.
In there, Adam lacked nothing concerning his comfort. God took good care of his nourishment by giving him all he needed to sustain a balanced life. He was surrounded with everything his heart could wish for. Every want was supplied. God even provided Adam with the opportunity of many different social interactions, each giving Adam a unique privilege to form relationships that were to last for eternity.
- He was given the privilege to interact with the animal world which he was commissioned to catalog and name. With these various amazing creatures surrounding him, his social life was full of joy and complete.
- God also created Him a helper, a perfect match, to whom he was able to communicate and share all types of happy emotions. This husband-and-wife interaction was a unique relationship they both enjoyed and cherished.
- Adam and Eve maintained their very first relationship with their Creator above all other relationships. The maintenance of this relationship was to secure the happiness and stability of all other relationships they had already and were to form.
- Adam and Eve had the privilege of a strong relationship with the angelic host which they regularly met and communed with.
- God also told them that they should multiply and replenish the earth. This meant that as soon as they had offspring their social interaction got more complete and more complex.
- As generations were formed after the first pair, their social interaction widened and got more and more complex with each generation.
There was an unfortunate event in the garden of Eden which created a very bitter relationship, which at the time did not appear dangerous at all. An animal which was beautiful, surprising and intriguing at the same time, started conversing with Eve. Although God warned the first pair of the lure of this relationship, by the enemy; but unfortunately it was formed and it quickly became established. It destroyed the full happiness of the first pair for the duration of their earthly life. Because this relationship was formed in the garden of Eden, some of the relationships we experience today are not all that happy. Some, although they appear to be happy, end suddenly. All parties involved in these relationships suffer loss. Misery and suffering are the end result, sometimes even death.
How can we avoid this? Is it possible to maintain any relationship; and if yes, how and for how long?
In our everyday life we engage in so many relationships. Just to name a few:
· Husband and wife
· Parents/children
· Relatives – close and distant
· Work relationships – between employee and employer, and between colleagues
· Neighbors
· Church relationships
· Relationship between me and God
This series of articles will look at all these types of relationships individually; and backed by the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, we will investigate what are some of reasons for broken relationships. What are some of the principles upon which every type of relationship should be based on?
The aim and purpose of this series is to bring awareness to these principles; and by applying it to our every day life we hope you, the reader, will have healthier relationships and perhaps even mend some of those ones that were broken by unfortunate events or even by neglect.
We have a purpose on this earth. God has called us to be ambassadors of heaven. He has called us to be instruments in mending the relationship between God and the people of the earth by reflecting the principles of heaven upon this dark and hopeless earth on which we live.
“The Lord in His wisdom has arranged that by means of the close relationship that should be maintained by all believers, Christian shall be united to Christian and church to church. Thus the human instrumentality will be enabled to co-operate with the divine. Every agency will be subordinate to the Holy Spirit, and all the believers will be united in an organized and well-directed effort to give to the world the glad tidings of the grace of God.” The Acts of the Apostles, 164.
“As all the different members of the human system unite to form the entire body, and each performs its office in obedience to the intelligence that governs the whole, so the members of the church of Christ should be united in one symmetrical body, subject to the sanctified intelligence of the whole.” Testimonies for the Church 4:16
In our next article we will look at the relationship between husband and wife. Some of us are in a marital relationship and learning, sometimes by mistakes, to keep this relationship with our spouse going. The word of God instructs us very clearly what are some of the secrets of successful marriages. Before the next article will be published, we would like you to take a good look at your relationship and see if you can spot where the strengths and weaknesses of your relationship with your spouse are.
If you are not married yet but you are planning to, we invite you to question what kind of relationship you would like to have with your future spouse. Are you ready to commit your life and give up some of your plans and ideas to have this unique relationship God instituted in the garden of Eden – marriage?
God’s plan is to re-instate the harmony of Eden in our lives, regardless of external turmoil. I hope that this series of articles will help you to come closer to this harmony. May God bless you.