A friend sent me a helpful message yesterday about relationships and worship. One of the interesting things mentioned was how can you worship God vertically when our relationships horizontal within our family and community are a hot mess?!!!
I was shook because while I’m very intentional about my boundaries in certain areas with others I can’t say my attitude is always right. Sometimes others’ responses trigger me. I wish every day was great – but Ummm it’s not. There were 3 things I took from the message which I will share below when it comes to how we should treat others:
- Give others grace.
- Follow peace.
- Love one another.
While all of this information sounds simple and practical in moments of heated discussions, to be honest, sometimes I have to take a step back because this isn’t my normal disposition. I have to ensure I’m not responding emotionally. In these moments I have to remind myself to invite the Holy Spirit to help guide and word my mouth even if that means not responding immediately. I also want to be sure I’m responding from a heart space filled with love even when it is uncomfortable for me. 😩
What are some things you do to work on your horizontal relationships with others?
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 NIV