Learning to Be Content in Your Relationships Lesson 5

Relationships...the people you know and the people you relate with. A personal testimony is how I will begin this lesson. I am sitting in the airport as I write, on stand-by, trying to return home from a short trip to Kentucky for the funeral of a very special lady who has been a very dear friend of mine for about 28 years.



Lynn Elder...I first met her when both our families moved into new homes across the street from one another near Louisville, Kentucky. She was just two years older than me, she had two girls and a step son, we had our three children with our youngest only 2 months old. We lived across the street from one another for 8 short years and our friendship lasted a life time. I started having Bible studies with Lynn around her kitchen table, she had lots of questions, and I was always nervous about whether or not I could answer them. Her husband was not saved or were their children. We started a children's Bible club in our living room and their children came. Sometime later they allowed us to have an adult Bible study in their livingroom where Albert taught about end times. Lynn started growing in her relationship with the Lord, Larry got saved as did their children. I got to take Lynn to the hospital the day she was in labor with their fourth child.



After we moved away, we tried to say in touch, but now as I look back, I wish we had seen one another more. We would stop by and see them when we were traveling. We would call and write from time to time. Two years ago, knowing Lynn was sick with cancer, I wanted to go spend a few days with her. It was a precious time together that I will always cherish. We felt as though we were sister not just friends. We had a special understanding or insight into the feelings and emotional needs of one another. We spent a lot of time together as young mothers, encouraging and helping each other. Relationships don't just happen they are developed over time and they take work. But the reward of those relationship are so precious. The reward for me was being able to be with the now grown children, as now Larry and Lynn are both in glory with our Lord. This family with 4 children, 3 married and 11 grandchildren are living for the Lord.

Learnng to be content in your relationship...Lesson 5.

Being content with all the people our lives touch is sometimes hard. Good relationships, like the one with Lynn continues to bring untold joy and a great sense of contentment. Broken relationships, unforgiveness, hard feelings cause problems with everything in your life. Hebrews 12:15 says "Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and therby many be defiled." Forgiveness, true forgivness is essential if you have offended or been offended to regain the joy and contentment in relationships with people in your life.

We may reason that it "hurts" to much to deal with; or that they don't "deserve" to be forgiven. We simply must be reminded from the scripture Christ's great love as He choose to die for our sins. Did it "hurt"? Do we "deserve" to be forgiven. The author, Juanita Purcell states: "When a relationship is broken, most people attack the person rather than the problem. Another mistake people make in broken relationships is to ignore or cover them up, as if they had not happened. Words inflicted in the heart must be dealt with, or they will grow like a cancer. Some people treat relationships as disposable goods; they just discard them. Fixing relatinships seems to be more trouble than the relatinships are worth."

According to God's Word we need to restore broken relatinships. Christ paid the price of death so that you and I could be reconciled to God. Jeremiah 31:3 tells of an everlasting love God has for us. Christ humbled himself ( Philippians 2:8) in obedience because He loves us so much. But in many cases we "think" we are better than the offender so we lift ourselves up in pride refusing to be humble and obedient to God. Don't be afraid to humble yourself or open yourself up to be hurt. God will use a humble spirit to mend a broken relationship that will be priceless in the future.

Several times Lynn and I had disagreements in our early years of friendship. I felt lonely and broken until the relationship was mended. The gift of a "friend" is worth the pain it may take to repair a broken relationship. My friend Lynn didn't know the friends she had. I heard her say that no one will come when she died. At her funeral, there were many family members there remembering her life, as well as many friends...lives she had touched because as the Pastor said at her memorial service "she was an 'others' person"...always reaching out to help and give and encourage.

I believe one of the biggest things that separates friends is assuming you know what the other person "might be thinking". My Bible (and your's too) says to think on things that are true, not on things that "might be". Also we are taught that to have friends we must be a friend. Put aside feelings, that probably are not even real, and have a life full by joy by having lots of friends.

Having contentment in my relationships does not just happen, I have to choose to work on it. I may have hurt you or you may have hurt me. Let's humble ourselves and forgive one another so that we can be free from an unforgiving, bitter spirit. Unforgiveness and bitterness are costly. The freedom from forgiveness is peace, joy and contentment - a great value that we cannot put a price tag on.

Your comments are welcome and encouraged. Please select the "comment" button at the end of this lesson. Type your message/testimony/encouragement and sign your name (if you want to make your identity known). Click on the anynomous button and publish your comment. We appreciate your involvement in this women's Bible study ministry.