You Were Made For Relationships

God is all about relationships.  When sin began in the Garden of Eden it broke the relationship between God and man and it broke God’s heart.  That’s why Jesus came, so the relationship could be restored.  But God’s not just interested in us having a relationship with Him, He also wants us to have healthy relationships with each other.  For God, relationships are a pretty big deal.  Most problems in life are relational problems because you and I are wired for relationships, and when the wires get crossed there are problems.

We don’t usually think about it this way, but God has hardwired all of us desire relationships.  In every cell of your body, in your DNA, God created you and me to value relationships.  It’s part of His design.  You and I work best when we have a relationship with God that’s working and then we have a relationship with others – in that order.  A religious leader came to Jesus one day and asked Him which was the greatest commandment.  Here’s what Jesus said:

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39, NLT)

Jesus took all of the commands from the Law and capsulized them into 2 commands: Love God, Love people.  It’s not that there isn’t more we need to know and learn, but Jesus said that these two things are the top priority.  Why?  Because God is all about relationships; our relationship with Him and our relationships with people.  Here’s what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus:

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.  (Ephesians 1:5, NLT)

When God created you and me, it gave Him great pleasure because God is all about relationships.  And when we have a relationship with Him and right relationships with one another it makes Him happy.  No one wants to go through life alone - we want to go with others.  We want to share the good things that happen, and if something bad happens we don’t want to be alone.  The reason for that is, God created you and me to be in relationship.