September 29, 2004
A Web Of Relationships
Read: John 15:1-14
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. —Mark 12:30
Bible In One Year: Isaiah 7-8; Ephesians 2
A Harvard Business School professor wrote an open letter to the nation's graduates. He told them that in one sense they needed to forget what they had learned in school. He said that schools tend to put too much emphasis on the idea that success comes as a result of passing tests. The professor pointed out that in the workplace doing well depends largely on learning to succeed in what he called a "web of relationships"—the ability to cooperate with others and function as an effective team.
This truth also applies to living the Christian life. We often think that spiritual maturity and success result from how much we know about biblical facts and principles.
Jesus showed us, however, that real success comes from something else—from loving one another in the same way He loved us. He made it clear that we can do this only if we "abide" in Him (John 15:7). This means that we must stay close to Him through prayer and willingly obey His commands (v.10). Our web of relationships must extend first to God and then to others.
The secret of spiritual success is not just in acquiring individual knowledge—it's in combining that knowledge with love in all our relationships. —Mart De Haan
When You lived on this earth;
You spread Your love to all You met—
You gave each one true worth. —Branon
As Christians draw close to Christ, they draw closer to one another.