Friendships are one of life’s greatest gifts.
They’re like treasures—you never know what you’re going to discover about yourself or someone else.
Friendships bring us joy and comfort, and contribute to our overall health and wellbeing.
A recent study found that just spending time with friends can help reduce stress and produce a calming effect. If that wasn’t enough, one study found that having friends can contribute not only to a happier but a longer life.
Not having friends or people you can really talk to can be as detrimental as smoking to a person’s health. Fact.
Despite all the great benefits and delights of friendships, it’s easy to find ourselves too busy to nurture strong relationships. Worse, we can allow petty grievances to slip into our relationships and eat away at our common bond.
Philippians 4:2 says:
“I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.”
Why does Paul call out these two women by name in a letter to an entire church? Because…
Rocky relationships rock other relationships.
Sometimes we can try to convince ourselves that our disharmony doesn’t affect anyone else.
The surrounding music is loud enough that no one will notice.
But other people always notice… sooner or later.
That’s why throughout Philippians, Paul has been encouraging us to live in harmony and be one mind and one spirit…
Rocky relationships rock other relationships.
So how do you live in harmony…
When someone has gotten on your last nerve and stepped on it twice…
When someone has polarizing views—you could not be more opposite…
When someone is so controlling it stifles the life out of you…
When someone appears to be a taker and taker and taker and never gives…
How do you live in harmony?
Paul gives us the answer when he instructs Euodia and Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.
Before we attune ourselves to someone else, we must attune ourselves to Christ. The greatest commands remain to love God and love others. Through prayer, petition, repentance and forgiveness, we can attune our hearts to the song of sacred love that God sings over you and wants to sing through you.
Sometimes my prayer is simply…
Jesus, how do you see this person?
Jesus, what’s your heart for this person?
Jesus, what’s the song you sing over them?
How do you do this? That’s what I explore in this week’s Facebook Live teaching.
Because you can choose to live in harmony even when your relationships are out of tune.
You don’t want to miss this final teaching in the Philippians study.
I’ve been sharing over four weeks in a row—for 10-20 minutes—on Saturdays at NOON Eastern.
Week One: Click Here for Blog. Click here for Facebook Live recording.
Week Two: Click Here for Blog. Click here for Facebook Live recording.
Week Three: Click Here for Blog. Click here for Facebook Live recording.
Week Four: Click here for Facebook Live recording.
Your homework this week:
- Watch the Facebook live teaching here.
- Complete playwork from Day 16-20 of Overcomer including devotional, discussion questions, and coloring the Scripture for rich insights.
- Choose to live in harmony with someone when the relationships is out of tune.
Together, let’s find joy and delight in God’s Word as we learn to know the Overcomer and become overcomers—even in our relationships.
Much love,
Margaret
Margaret,
I watched your week 4 FB live post today. I have to tell you, about a month after Christmas is over, I wish it was Christmas again. That’s how much I love Christmas. But NOW, I absolutely will not be able to wait for Advent!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!! The questions in the Overcomer study were so introspective. They help me SO much. Every year I ask God to give me a fresh perspective on the coming of His Son to this world. I can only imagine how your introspective questions about Jesus’s birth will be an answer to my prayer this Christmas season. God bless you as you prepare and lead us through yet another amazing Bible study!!
Margaret: I love your writing. I have followed you for several years, not continually, but spontaneously. Your writing has always inspired my heart and soul for growing a spirit that is not controlling, but loving, accepting, giving and forgiving!
I left the business world of construction as a professional contractor to become a pastor in the United Methodist Church of Arkansas, and at its inception, was the Director of Volunteers in Mission for several years due to my construction experience and business knowledge, now retired! We has great success in building churches without a magnanimous debt load. The building process only required that the church pay for the materials. I simply loved doing my Lord’s work for other newborn Christians, whether they were members of the church or not!
Also, this program allowed members of other denominational local churches to participate in the construction process and become community people working together without denominational differences!
I loved the work and continue to perform drafting for churches that have a dream for new building. My health has failed and I cannot be “hands on” as before, but love to be involved in the lighter side of building for our God and expanding the love for all denominations!
This has been the greatest life-fulfilling work that I have ever experienced!
Again, I appreciate your web site and continue to follow your the writings from your heart. May God bless and keep you for all times and may his blessings be on you forever, until the day when you have the experience to see God up close and personal!!
Blessings, Grace and Love forever,
Rev. James Conn
Candi,
Thank you for the encouragement! I’m excited for it as well 🙂
James,
You are serving His kingdom well! Thank you for your kind words.