Strengthening and Maintaining Relationships

Scripture Reading

2 Timothy 1:2-7

2 To Timothy, a dear child to me:

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I thank God as I always mention you in my prayers, day and night. I serve him, doing what I know is right as my ancestors did. 4 Remembering that you cried for me, I want very much to see you so I can be filled with joy. 5 I remember your true faith. That faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I know you now have that same faith. 6 This is why I remind you to keep using the gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. Now let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire. 7 God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and self-control.

Devotional

As you read through the scripture, it really paints a beautiful picture of how we should treat those we care about. We have found millions of ways to keep ourselves busy and our schedules full in life and yet time is the one thing we cannot ever get back. So, given that tomorrow is never promised and we can never get time back, we should be intentional about making time for those we love and letting them know how we feel. I’m not saying you need to write love letters to each of your friends and family members, but dig deeper than the surface level conversations to maintain that closeness. Let’s take a closer look at what Paul has to say to Timothy.

He first greets him by wishing him good things from the Lord then mentions how he’s been praying for him every day. Paul also mentions that seeing Timothy would fill him with joy and he remembers the strength of his faith. It’s something he really admires about him and that faithfulness has been passed from generation to generation. Paul then encourages Timothy to keep utilizing his faith to spread the Good News and his faith continue to grow in the process. And he gets a little more specific than that, he knows that Timothy needs to understand that doing the will of God isn’t always going to be easy, but he wants to emphasize that he should not be afraid because God gives us a sprit of power, love, and self-control. So how can we use this as a model in our own lives? Here are four things we can start and/or continue to do when it comes to those we love and care about.

1. Be candid and speak from the heart – The best conversations are always the ones that come from an open and honest place.

2. Pray for one another even if your friends or family haven’t asked for prayers in any specific area – We never know what someone is going through on any given day and we never know what the future might hold, so extending prayers for today and in advance for those we care about is just a way of saying to God “Hey God, I love this person, please watch over them, bless them, and keep them safe.”

3. Let someone know about the gifts you see in them – Sometimes it’s not something they’re even aware of and it could also give them the boost that they need to continue to nurture and utilize that gift.

4. Encourage one another with the love of Jesus – Be quick to speak kindness and words of encouragement. Everyone could use a little encouragement because so much of the world is filled with negativity. I’ve seen a popular trend of reciting self-affirmations in the mirror and that sounds nice, but truthfully, it is really hard to encourage yourself. It’s about as effective as patting yourself on the back. I’m not saying it can’t be effective, but it means a heck of a lot more coming from someone we love.

Today, you may be thinking of a friend you haven’t spoken to in a long while or a family member you kept meaning to call or go visit, but haven’t. Maybe in the process of reading this devotional, the little relationship maintenance symbol began to blink on your metaphorical dashboard. If so, let’s take a moment to pray over those relationships.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for being a loving, kind, and merciful God. Lord, thank you for your Word and showing me how I can be a more loving person and continue to deepen the relationships with the people in my life. I pray that this week I will look for opportunities to have deeper and more meaningful conversations, be more prayerful, and be quick to share words of kindness and encouragement. In Jesus’ name, Amen.