You may remember that I’m working on a new book exploring healthy relationship practices drawing from the ‘One Anothers’ of the New Testament.
I thought I’d share with you a little extract from the chapter on humility – I humbly offer it to you for your enjoyment and reflection (see what I did there!)…
Here we go….these are some closing thoughts from the chapter…
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“God has put eternity in our hearts.”
Could that be true?
What if God doesn’t just exist, but actually is a deeply relational being who cares for us and actually can be part of our lives. He can be the ‘helper’ than we’re longing for. That He alone has both the desire and the ability, to bring the level of healing and transformation we need to become our best selves – for our sake and for all our relationships.
Food for thought?
For now, it’s time to bring this chapter to a close!
I’ve purposely started our journey together by exploring humility because being humble is the soil in which all the other healthy relationship practices can grow.
To be humble means to have the right estimation of yourself – to understand how your strengths and weaknesses can help or harm your relationships – and to commit to keep learning and growing to become better.
And to commit to this life of learning and growing, not as a solo project, but with the help of people around you who you trust are lovingly motivated to see you become your best self.
And better still, to take a risk and reach out to the God who created you.
In the words of author Dan Allender…
“Calling out for help from God and others is the deepest confession of humility.”
None of us will ever be relationship perfect. We’ll all make mistakes. And sometimes the fruit of those mistakes will be very costly! I write to you, after all, as a man who has journeyed through the agony and pain of divorce.
But if we stay humble – and stay hungry to keep learning and improving – then hopefully each year we can look back at say
“I’m not all that I should be, but I’m not what I was!
And that is good news for me, and all my relationships.”
Remember this truth – the only person you can truly change is yourself. Start there!
I hope that’s whetted your appetite and you’ll be praying for me as I continue to write in the months ahead.
