October 10: The Transformative Power of Relationships

Jeremiah 6:16-8:7

Colossians 2:8-23

Psalm 78:1-31

Proverbs 24:26

Jer 6:9-10  "Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say "We are safe" - safe to do all these detestable things?"

Relationships are interesting, powerful, transformative things.  When I got married in 1996, when I was almost 31, to a wonderful woman who, in hindsight, I did not know anywhere near well enough, I committed myself to a relationship without fully understanding what that meant.  And so, in many ways, I remained who I was - in many ways, a 30-odd year accumulation of selfishness, bad habit and sin, singularly unqualified to be a husband.  And, to compound the problem, sixteen days short of a year later, we had our beloved daughter.  So now I was unqualified for two roles I needed to fill - husband and father.  

That was almost 18 years ago that we got married, and as I look back, I realize how guilty I was of what The Lord accuses the Israelites of through Jeremiah.  I called myself a husband and father, and I came to the same home...but thought that because I worked to put a roof over the family's heads and food on the table, I was free to behave however I wanted.  

Thankfully, over that time, I have gotten to know my wife and daughter, and the two boys that followed.  And as my relationship with them grew, what I wanted changed as well.  I no longer wanted to spend a lot of time with my friends apart from them, no longer looked for the late hours that I thought were the surest path to advancement, wasn't really sure I wanted the advancement if it came at tremendous cost to our improving closeness.  I am not perfect by any means, but the growth of our relationship has been increasingly transformative.

I think it must be the same with our Lord.  For as long as we do not know Him, nor have a relationship with Him, we will claim to be disciples and children, but will act otherwise, burning "incense to Baal" and following "other gods [we] have not known".  So the trick is to get to know Him and, for that, as with any relationship, there is no substitute for communication and time together.  

As I try to spend even more time in order to get to know the wonderful wife and children with whom God has blessed me, I need to also spend more time in prayer and in His word to get to know Him better.  Perhaps you might care to join me?