Relationships
Taber Evangelical Free Church values relationships.
Disciples are called to be in loving relationships with others. This is clearly seen in Jesus’ direction to love one and other (John 13:35) and echoed in 1 John 4 with the observation that we cannot say that we love God if we do not love the people in our midst. This mutual love for each other happens in the context of relationships. We see developing and fostering relationships as essential for everyone who follows Christ. Specifically, TEFC values mutual, Christ-like relations between other followers of Jesus Christ and also caring, hospitable relations with those in our community.
But relationships are challenging. They require consideration of others and the setting aside of ourselves. Relationships demand investment of your time, attention, and care. However, healthy, godly relationships with each other demonstrates God’s work and power in our lives to a world where relationships are broken and strained. We will not always get things right in the relationships that we keep with each other, but we can continue in the ways of Jesus to have healthier, more Christ-like relationships.
By committing to love others
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
- John 13:34
When someone is determined to live in good relationship with others, there is a conscious decision to love them. According to Jesus, this was something new, something different from the typical expressions of faith being done. Faith in God would go beyond following rules and, instead, be marked by love for people made in God’s image.
By laying down ourselves
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
- John 15:13
We have committed to love others, we must put ourselves aside for their sake. Jesus exemplifies this by giving his very life on the cross for us. For us today, "laying down our lives" is putting aside our own desires, our preferences, and our expectations. Unless we are willing to lay down our own lives, the sinful motivations of our hearts will creep into and muddy our expressions of love for others.
By serving the needs of others
43b “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- Mark 10:43–45.
Once we have committed to love others and set our own lives aside, we must apply ourselves to action. This action is serving the needs of others. We saw from John 13:34 that we are to love others in the same way that Jesus loved his disciples. Jesus served them. He did not come to be served but to serve the needs of other. Not only that, Jesus came to serve the needs of people who did not recognize his authority, did not appreciate his ministry, and did not reciprocate his love for them. This did not stop his embracing the cross for the sake of serving the needs of sinful humanity. So, then, we love others in the same way; serving the needs of individuals in the community around us rather than waiting to be served in the ways that we would expect.
May we carefully navigate and live in the relationships that God has placed us in. May we also seek opportunities to choose love for others, laying down our own preferences and serving the needs of others to fulfill the example of Jesus.