Church started the 40days of love last Sunday..

Day 1:

This is the love of a couple who made the choice to continue to love, even in the midst of most crushing of circumstances- Neal having chosen to practice sacrificial love in a marriage that wasn't close to what he and Robin had dreamed it would be, and robin having chosen to accept and return Neal's love rather than allowing her own hurt to push him away.

Relationships are painful. Relationships are wonderful. We all live in drama that plays out between these two truths.

Here's the truth Jesus taught us: Nothing is more important than relationships.

Here's the question: Supposed you're in a rubber life raft with a friend. You're approaching an island. The raft is leaking, and you're within sight of land. In the raft with you are a set of signal flares, a week's supply of canned food, and a five gallon container of water. You must throw one of these items overboard if you're going to make it to the island. Which one do you choose?

I have to admit, the first answer that hit me was "the friend". This silly thought that leaped over my mind was a reminder of how easy it is to value things over people.

Mark 12:28-34

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these." "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

From the beginning till the end, nothing is more important that relationships. In the beginning, God created you for relationships. He made you to relate to him and to others. Miss out on relationships, and you're missing the core reason for which God put you on this planet. And in the end, nothing is more important, because nothing will last longer than relationships. Your relationship with God and others will last all the way into eternity.

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As i closed my book for the 1st day of journey, i sat there reflecting this year. There are people that i've missed out to love, putting task over relationship , putting issues over relationship, putting exams over relationship. Before it's too late, i commit to show love and put relationship as my highest priority and value.

Nothing is more important than relationship, and that means first to God, then second to people.