JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Protection.

According to First Corinthians 13:7, “Love always protects.”

One of the vivid examples of this occurred when Jesus was born. Even as Joseph and Mary were celebrating His delivery, an angel warned Joseph in the middle of the night to get up and take the child and his mother to Egypt. The situation was urgent. Herod was searching for the child to kill him.

Without delay, Joseph got up and took his family to Egypt until the danger had passed.

Joseph serves as an example for us today, to be aware of dangers that threaten the safety of our loved ones, and to take action to protect them. That includes influences that would attempt to lure our loved ones away from God.

Protection is a key element to thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK -Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from John 17, verses 15 through 18.

Jesus said to His Heavenly Father, regarding His followers, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”

One of the perplexing questions that Christians face is “what does it mean to be in the world, but not of it?”

We are not called to be isolated from our culture, but to be engaged in it.

We are not called to compromise godly standards, but to uphold them in our witness for Jesus.

After Jesus said this prayer, His followers engaged culture and became influences for the Gospel. God can work through us to share the good news of God’s love with the world.

Engaging this world with the Gospel is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com