A horrible realization drifts into my awareness. I start to comprehend its significance. I recognize its awesomeness – and I mean this in the true sense of
awe! I grasp the fact that every time my actions fall short of God’s perfect standard (in
other words, whenever I sin), I am doing something that Jesus suffered and died
for…
My thoughts then trail to the fact that many
of those actions are performed within the context of relationships … relationships
involve all spheres of life ... relationships among Christians are not
always what they ought to be… how easily are we influenced by worldly concepts …
one thought leads to another…
Relationship advice abounds. Many feel free
to give it, many indeed need it, but God has the last (and best) say. That
inspires me to take a systematic journey through the New Testament to see what
godly relationships look like.
But what does all this have to do with
writing? Well, let’s see. Following God’s advice will most likely improve our relationships;
make us feel better within ourselves and draw us closer to your Heavenly Father.
This, in turn, will influence our daily experiences, guide our thoughts, and …
there it is … inspire our writing. You could even use this checklist to shape
some of your literary characters and their relationships.
Not only will our rewards be precious if we heed God's advice, but the way we make others feel in the process will be
priceless…
Love one another (John
13:35 - this command appears 16 times)
Be
devoted to
one another (Romans 12:10)
Honour others above yourselves
(Romans 12:10)
Live
in harmony with
one another (Romans 12:16)
Build
up
one another (Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Be
likeminded towards one another (Romans 15:5)
Accept one another (Romans
15:7)
Admonish one another (Romans
15:14; Colossians 3:16)
Care
for
one another (1 Corinthians 12:25)
Serve one another
(Galatians 5:13)
Bear one another's burdens
(Galatians 6:2)
Forgive one another
(Ephesians 4:2, 32; Colossians 3:13)
Be
patient with
one another (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13)
Be
kind and compassionate to
one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Speak to one another with
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19)
Submit to one another
(Ephesians 5:21, 1 Peter 5:5)
Consider others better than
yourselves (Philippians 2:3)
Look
to the interests of
others, not just your own (Philippians 2:4)
Bear
with one another (Colossians 3:13)
Teach one another
(Colossians 3:16)
Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians
4:18)
Encourage one another (Hebrews
3:13)
Stir
up
one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24)
Show
hospitality
to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
Employ
the gifts that God has given us for the benefit of one
another
(1 Peter 4:10)
Clothe
yourselves with humility towards one another (1 Peter 5:5)
Pray for one another
(James 5:16)
Confess
our faults
to one another (James 5:16)
And now for the final wrap-up:
“This is God’s commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” (1 John 3:23)
“Therefore,
whatever you do, do all to the glory of God!” (1
Corinthians 10:31)
Margaret Lepke is a Christian
educator, counsellor, naturopath and writer. She loves encouraging women to
grow in Christ and presents many helpful talks and
workshops. Enjoy the resources on her website. http://drlepke.com.au
