STAYING FULL
Verse of the week: Romans 15:1
1 Now, those who are mature in their faith can easily be recognized, for they don’t live to please themselves but have learned to patiently embrace others in their immaturity.
As we enter the last week of our PDA series at Resonate, we reflect on some of the key messages over the past month. From the importance of embracing others, to open discussions about relationship struggles and pressing in to see triumphs, to growing in love, we’ve covered a lot. But the most important thing we’ve learned, which shows up in our theme verse, is that the easiest way to see on the outside that you’re growing in God on the inside is the way we do relationships. Mature faith is seen in the way we love the people around us!
That being said, relationships are tough. They take work. So what do we do when we find ourselves struggling? Here are a few takeaways from week 4 of PDA:
#1: Relationship Math.
We’re told that relationships should be equal – 50/50. But what do we do when the relationship math feels out of order? When we’ve gone to our friend the last few times we needed to talk? When we’ve been stuck at home with the kids all day? When you work your hardest to provide, but you feel like you’re barely keeping up?.
Most of the time, a relationship falls apart because the relationship math feels out of balance – one person feels like they’re giving more, maybe it’s 60%, or 70%. The numbers do not add up.
In John 21, Jesus models shows us what happens when the relationship math doesn’t add up. After His sacrifice, Jesus rises from the grave and appears to Peter, repeatedly asking him if he loves Him. Peter responds, but not to the same degree that Jesus is asking. Think about that – this is your Saviour, who has given His life for your salvation, and Peter can’t bring himself to match His love. Jesus has given 100 level love, and Peter matches Him back at 50.
In this story, Jesus is modelling that there will be moments and maybe even seasons when in relationships, you will be giving more than you receive.
#2: 100/100.
Culture has taught us that relationships are supposed to be 50/50, but that’s not the picture of love we see in the Bible. Marriage in the Bible is a call to 100 and 100, and our 100 is not contingent on our partners. If you’re in a relationship that now feels like 75/25, what you need to stay in the fight for the relationship is not for your partner to somehow to get to 50, but to revel in the love of God to bring you up to 100!
That’s not to say you can’t express your heart, or your disappointments, or to be quiet and pretend everything is ok when it’s not. What it means is that the starting point for an effective relationship is starting each day giving God full control, recognizing that we are completely dependent on Him, and that we need His strength to restore us back to 100 so that we can more effectively love those around us.
#3: Getting to 100.
Before we can be a healthy member of a relationship, we have to have our inherent value restored by God. So what’s your starting point in relationship today? Are you giving it all to God?
If you feel like the relationship math is off, try bringing back a joy filled level 100. Not because you’re super human. But because you’ve got Jesus, and a daily filling of the Holy Spirit. That’s how to stay full, and to love at 100.
Make sure to check out the full message below!
