Seeds of Relationship

Relationships are a funny thing. The dynamics of them are weird, or at least they are to me. Have you ever had someone say to you, “tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are?”  At first glance you may think, how can this be possible when everyone is different. Well, while everyone is different I think a well known saying will help us to understand. “Bird’s of a feather flock together.” Ok, so maybe it’s not as clear as we think. Let’s dig a little deeper.

Relationships of all types are very similar in that you have different people banding together usually over common interests. Romantic relationships have a common interest in desire for each other. Business relationships around financial status or growth. Friendship’s around common goals or other similar interests. When we think about today’s scripture reading you may be asking yourself why is this important? This brings me back to the original statement, relationships are a funny thing.

Almost all relationships start out with people who are different but as the relationship continues they seem to become more and more alike. As your love for them grows, the more comfortable you are with adapting and becoming like the people in your relationships. Think about your own relationships and how similar you are with the people in them. Then think how much more this is true for those who are closest to you. I’ve heard it said that Christianity is about being in a relationship with Jesus. This is why Paul can say things like, in Christ we have freedom and are not subject to the law. In relationships we don’t act a certain way because we have to or are bound by some law. No, we are motivated by love for the people we share a relationship with.

The fruit of the Spirit are traits that will become more and more apparent the closer we grow to Jesus. The fact that Paul refers to these traits as fruit reminds me of the parable of the sower. The condition of the soil reflects the condition of our heart. Only Jesus can plow the soil of the heart and create good soil where there once was bad soil. Thus creating good ground for the fruit of the Spirit to grow. We may never possess these fruit perfectly but with Jesus by our side they will become more evident as we grow with Him. So I encourage you to continue to build your relationship with Jesus. Don’t be discouraged in those times when you feel like you don’t measure up because remember, Jesus is your friend and He loves you no matter what. May you grow in the fruit of the Spirit as you grow in your relationship with Jesus.