By Grace Oji
I can't stress this enough, living a balanced life must include having good relationships with people around you.
Luke 2:52 (KJV) And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Building healthy relationships involves being able to understand what the other person is going through and how much he needs help. God understood clearly our position as beings separated from Him. He understands more than we ever could.
And He in perfect wisdom has demonstrated, in ways which no law can speak against, how we can nurture bonds with those we meet.
GOD CAME TO SAVE US EVEN THOUGH WE NEVER ASKED HIM TO:
Consider this, a dead man can't speak, he can't think, he has lost any power to reason and understand. If fire is burning he lies still and doesn't shout for help. This description fits perfectly with who we are before becoming born again. We are dead and unable to decipher that we have need of His life. And if we have no knowledge of our dead state we will see no need for His help. As a consequence we will make no effort to ask for help. That is why the preacher raises his voice to warn the people and compel them to come to Christ. We didn't ask to be delivered from our sins but He came to save us anyway bringing us into His perfect joy and peace.
Ephesians 2:5 (KJV) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Similarly, there are times someone close by will be in distress staying alone and bearing the pain and discomfort. If we have a solution, no matter how little, we should in fact go over and offer it to them. Their irresolution to ask could stem from fears that there's no one who will understand or whom they can trust with themselves. In this case even a simple, 'I've noticed how sad you've been, are you okay?' can open up their heart and cause them to trust you. Because you've shown them that they are not like a tiny grain of sand on the ground that goes unnoticed. It could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
GOD GAVE SALVATION EVEN THOUGH WE ARE LESS DESERVING OF IT:
There's no argument that God's gift of salvation is because of His love and mercy. We have nothing and will never have anything to show that will prove He owes us salvation like a man owes his creditors.
Romans 5:7-8 (KJV) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Have you witnessed events where people helped others who were selfish? Sometimes this meant raising alarms when someone was after their lives, or supporting when they were in serious trouble and had no one else around. In these cases the ones receiving the help were less deserving of the help they got. They were people who couldn't see needs beyond five inches round about themselves and could sacrifice a neighbour for personal gain. But the helpers were people who had come to understand the need to be their brother's keeper even when it wasn't reciprocated. Their selfless act may seem useless but holds the power to imprint lasting marks in the lives of men. A man can learn from a single witness of such an example and realize the one that helped is worth holding in honour and someone to keep close.
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