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Abiding Relationship
Abiding Relationship
Think for a moment
Where do you live? In a Society.
What does the society comprise of? Business, Services, Government, Workplace, etc.
What about your community? Schools, College and Universities, Churches/temples Races/caste, tribe, law.
What does all these involve? Relationships.
What is the heart of any relationships? Deep longing, Joy, Trust, Unity, Understanding, Communication and forbearance .
In fact, Love summarizes it all. (Love of the kind Jesus showed us on the cross of Calvary –‘agape’. Agape love means sacrificial love, self-denying love, outpouring-love).
From the student’s perspective, to who all does he/she relate to? Basically to Parents, Teachers, Friends (including opposite sex) and rest of the Society. In a sense to the people and the environment. When a students tries to fulfill his/her role in the above context there are differences in their point of view, values, beliefs and upbringing. This put together establishes a relationship pattern we are not comfortable with. Peer pressure in the present day campuses is strong enough for one to put aside.
What about opposite sex? Appreciate them as God’s wonderful creation. Praise God for the opportunity to associate with them, especially in fulfilling God’s plan for this world and ourselves. Never in selfishness become possessive to one individual. Always be transparent and open.
What about marriage? Well, pick God’s choicest one for yourself. Never settle for what your mind see as the one for you. Don’t be tricked by your emotions or infatuations or somebody’s proposal. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Never offer lust in golden platter to others lest their lives be ruined.
What does Christian student have to offer in his/her campus or classroom? Definitely much- a guidepost to right direction, i.e., pause, go slow, stop, turn right, turn left. In other words Heaven’s standards for Nextgen students.
For a Christian everything begins and ends in God. A Christian student has the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to define and establish wholesome relationships in the patterns of God’s Word.
Checkout Heaven’s guidelines in Bible
- God loves you and me alike – not a bit more or less.
- God created you and me for the same purpose and put us in the same planet Earth.
- God paid the highest price to pay for our (you and me) salvation.
- God forgave not only our sins but gave us heaven’s citizenship and seated you and me with Christ.
- God made all (you and me) who trust in Him to be one in Christ – there is no Jew nor Greek or male nor female, rich or poor, superior or inferior.
- God not only purchased our pardon and gave us eternal life but made us co-heirs with Christ.
- God made us co-workers with Christ for the same purpose to live peaceably witnessing, and finally God offered us the same promise and destiny.
- What do we pray now? Let Thy Kingdom come; Let Thy Will be done on Earth (you and me and others) as it is in heaven.
How to Enact Love of Jesus
In a pluralistic and secular society, where there are no absolute standards how do we Christian students relate to other students on our campuses?Bible gives the best answer – Just as Jesus Did, loving all, sharing everything with everybody, giving-up everything for one and all, through a godly expression and mutual dependence. Let me elaborate it for you: God looks at this world and appreciates it through his son Jesus Christ. You and me become acceptable to God because of what Christ did. God loves the world through Christ and so he chose to die for this world, i.e. you and me. No more we love others just because we like another person on the basis of his/her behaviour/ language/colour/educational standard/caste/tribe or religion. The new catchword is I LOVE (everybody/him or her) BECAUSE GOD LOVES. It does not matter if I personally appreciate that person fully but because God loves. Know that it is the same God who made you and me and died to win us back to heaven eternally. If one believes in this trust how can he/she cheat/kill or look down upon others. NEVER!Say I love what God loves. This is the foundation of a real relationship: be it friendship, marital, parental, official or anything else. It is giving fully and wholly. It is taking the best interest of others in view. It is being true and pure both in thoughts and action.. It is never to harm. It is not to deprive but to provide and comfort. It is about caring and cherishing. It is being patient, It is shouldering other’s pain. The challenge is to keep loving even if others hate and try to destroy you because we conquer by continuing. Secondly students witness in the campus creates a confidence and dependence, Somebody wrote:
I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare!
Remember just as many has confidence in you and depends on you, Jesus is counting on you and me.
Article by Biju Mathai. He is a journalist working for Malayala Manorama, Kottayam, Kerala. Email: bijumathai70@hotmail.com
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