Connections

Isa.5:2&4 “He ploughed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines… Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter. What more could I have done… I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?

Proverbs 6:^6-8 “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.” And because they are ready for winter, when winter comes, it appears as if they are still enjoying. How can someone enjoy during summer and enjoy during winter, don’t they have downtime? Are they living in the same world we are? Yes, they are. They expected the best and made the best out of it. But they have also planned for the worst. The first four areas where we need to create margin are with our Finances, with our Time, with our Body, and with our Work. The fifth area where we need to create margin is in our Relationships. How do we do that? By valuing your relationships. I can never overemphasize the value of relationships.

Value your relationships; I am not talking about flaky acquaintances. Everybody cannot be your friend, similarly, not every relationship is tangible. Some relationships are not tangible, you should still value them but know that they are not tangible. A five-year-old girl says to her dad, ‘Dad, I am in love with a six-year-old boy. The Dad was like, ‘What do you know about love?’ The girl said, ‘I really love him, Dad!’ While the father was trying to help her see that she was going too far, the little girl said, ‘Well it is too late, I have already given him my heart.’ The Dad said, ‘Alright, he has your heart. What is his name.’ And the girl said, ‘Well, I do not know his name. I met him at the park.’ ‘So, you met him at the park, you have given him your heart, and you do not know his name?’ Sadly, that is how flaky a lot of our relationships are.

But God wants us to build authentic, genuine, deep relationships, and value our relationships. The amount of progress you make in life is tied to your relationship. The amount of joy you will have in life is tied to your relationships. The amount of sorrow you have in life is tied to your relationships. How wealthy you become is tied to your relationships. The doors that will open for you are tied to your relationships, so value your relationships. And with relationships also expect the best, and plan for the worst. My grandmother used to say two things to us; you do not suspect the person you are working with, and you do not work with the person that you suspect. If you have chosen to work with someone, expect the best.

Do not work with someone and begin to suspect him or her. Do not be in a relationship and begin to suspect the person you are in a relationship with. Do not deal with the person you suspect and that is on one hand. But on the other hand, she will also say that when your friendship is rosy, remember the day you will fight. Expect the best but plan for the worst.

Prayer: Father, help me to value my relationships, to expect the best and plan for the worst, and not to be suspicious of the people I do life with, in Jesus Name. Amen!