Abraham by God’s calling had become a blessed man walking in the blessing. God appeared to him, changed his name and gave him the covenant of circumcision. You would have thought that all this will happen to just Abraham and his family, but not so, the blessing as we see it (Gen 17: 12-14) was also for as many as were with Abraham at that time. They came into the lineage of blessing simply by association with the man Abraham, they were to be circumcised just like Abraham, and came under the same covenant blessing.
These people who were associated with Abraham at that time, including his household servants, enjoyed the most of the covenant that God Almighty gave to him. It therefore goes to show that there are associations in life that will forever set you up for the blessing. That is why you must treasure the relationships that God brings into your life, and never take them for granted.
In one of the piece published on this blog, Identity by association, it was emphasized that you could not define your identity by those you are in relationship with, because ultimately the word of God has defined who you are. But relationships remain vital in connecting you to the blessing of God prepared for you from the foundations of the world.
If I were to look at my life today, I could point out a number of valuable relationships that God has brought to me that I could not trade for anything. These relations have been instrumental to the level of the blessing I have enjoyed and still enjoy today. These valuable relationships can be a family member, an old school friend or course mate, a boss, business partner, someone you met in church, fellowship, conference or some other gathering, but you must value them.
I have come to discover in my short life that many people do not value the relationships that God brings into their lives for some reason or the other. For some, it is that they hardly value anything, while for others it is that they find it difficult to recognize such relationships, probably because at the time God brought it to them it didn’t look like what would be valuable, so they despise it. There are also those who abuse their relationships with dishonour, they refuse to recognise that "twenty children will not play for twenty years" people will change levels and you must continue to adjust how you relate with people based on their new level. Someone that was at the same level with you in the past, has now been exalted in to a high position, you must deal with them based on their new level, and give them the honour and respect due to them.
Some of you can look back at some relationships you have refused to nurture or that you have lost completely, and wish that you could easily bring them back, but that may be very difficult, and in some cases almost impossible. However, I have also found out that all that you need to move up in life, God has carefully positioned within your reach. If you still look carefully at your life from where you are right now, you can still identify some of those valuable relationships. It is time to begin to nurture them properly so that you can benefit the most from them. You are just one valuable relationship away from your next blessing, don’t miss it.
Shalom!
Originally written by Oluwakemi Folorunso
Thank you for sharing. We must nurture relationships, our God is a relational God too!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Sir.
ReplyDeleteThank you bro for sharing. We must nurture every good relationship.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these truths. I also believe some relationships are brought to us for a season. When their time or assignment is over, they leave us and we must let them go. However, like you clearly states, we must identify and value relationships that are brought to us to bless us
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