Investing long-term

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Jesus--in John 13:35 (NRSV)

In a recent conversation with Roger Howell, the CEO of City Ministries--a premier urban mission here in Cincinnati--I asked him what factor seemed to be more important than any other in the transformation of a person's life. What main key is most instrumental in helping a person to be more Christ-like in character and able to function well in the world? His answer was RELATIONSHIPS.

In a recent conversation with a long-time friend of mine, he asked how long I thought it had been since we last talked. I said I wasn't sure, but that it had probably been two or three months. He replied, "Did you know my wife is pregnant?" "No," I said. "Uhh, well, she is…and the due date is next month." Obviously my friend and I had not recently invested much time in our relationship!

And that's the conundrum. We need good healthy relationships to make progress toward who God has created us to be, and having good healthy relationships takes a substantial investment of time and energy and money, but other things desire our time and energy and money as well!

My prayer for all of us is that we will realize more fully that it is our relationships have the potential to last forever, and that we will have the courage and fortitude to invest our time, energy and resources in those relationships. It will be then that other people will recognize that we are serious about being who Jesus wants us to be, and it will be then that our lives will have the joy that God desires for us.