We are blessed by the companionship we are allowed with others. It is a privilege we do not always stop to appreciate. When I take a closer look at the people present in my life, I find they fall into three categories.
Blessings — These are the ones who are always there for me: lifting me up, caring for me, and helping me grow in positive and meaningful ways. Some in this category have walked with me through multiple seasons; others have been present for just one. Either way, I am deeply grateful for them.
Training Courses — People in this category have challenged me to become better. They are not always easy to be around, but through their mistakes or mine alongside them, I grow and learn. Interactions with these individuals have driven me to pray and seek wisdom.
Diminishers — These are the people who have, at times, caused me to believe the lies of the enemy: making me feel small, negative, and less than who God made me to be. They are best kept in the outermost circles of my life.
God expects us to enjoy the companionship of others.
“A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
-Proverbs 18:1
He rages against all wise judgment.”
Many a good Christian has told me that the second most important commandment — loving our neighbor as ourselves — is hard to execute. While I agree, I am troubled by how easily I find it difficult. It reveals my lack of humility and obedience. God expects me to love everyone He places in my life. Nothing in my life is chance, whim, or happenstance. God loves me so much that He planned it all out. Every person I have ever met has been a divine appointment, orchestrated by Him with purpose and intention.
Here is what I believe: God brings two people together with the intent of multiplying love in each other’s lives and bringing Him glory. We do not always rise to that. We have free will, and sometimes we use it to cause strife, heartache, and pain instead.
If I do not view my encounters with others as God-given appointments, I will not set aside my ego and pride or submit to whatever He has planned. The other person may not share the same intent, but I can at least be content in having shown up prepared for an appointment set by God.
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
-Colossians 3:17
Dear God,
Teach me to engage with every person You place in my life in a way that honors the appointment You have set for me. May I cherish every interaction with the knowledge that You have orchestrated it. Help me submit to Your will in my thoughts, words, and deeds. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.