The Power of Connection

 

By Andrea Merrell

I have come that they may have life

and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:10 NKJV

 

“Who are you connected to?” the speaker asked. “What are you receiving from your current relationships?”

After giving his audience a few moments to ponder his questions and jot down some notes, he went on to explain the difference between life-draining and life-giving relationships.

His wise words made me think back to friendships I had experienced over the years. Some were difficult, even toxic—as I came to realize after the fact. I always walked away feeling exhausted and discouraged yet not knowing what to do. A couple of those relationships practically drained the life out of me.

Then I thought about the true friends who had poured life into me. People who truly cared. People who loved me and nourished my soul.

Jesus said, “I have come that they (you) may have life and that they (you) might have it more abundantly.” How do we experience that abundant life He speaks of? By being securely connected to Him, the Vine (John 15). That is our ultimate connection. Our relationship with Him determines the quality of our relationship with others.

One writer says that’s how our souls are nourished: through the love of God and other people. People He places in our path. I call those God-connections.

God created us for fellowship. For communion with Him and others. That’s what causes us to flourish. So my question for you is, “Are you firmly plugged in to the very source of life ... the source of everything that is good and true and lasting?” If not, today’s the day. It will be the best decision you ever make.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Who's Influencing You?

By Andrea Merrell

 

“Stay away from that girl. She’s a bad influence on you,” my grandmother used to say from time to time when I was growing up. She meant well and was trying to protect me, but I never could figure out her criteria for “bad influence.”

Unfortunately, I didn’t always heed her advice—which was usually correct. Even as an adult, I've occasionally found myself connected with the wrong crowd.

According to Bob Gass, there are two groups of people we should never allow into our lives:

The first is composed of VNP people: very needy people, very negative people, and very needling people. The second contains VDP people: very draining people, very doubting people, and very distracting people.

Gass says we should love, help, and encourage them however we can but never allow them to influence or lead us.

Relationships are important. The wrong ones can pull us down and keep us in a constant state of turmoil. The right ones will lift us up, believe the best in us, speak words of truth into our life, and stand with us no matter what comes our way. There is nothing better than a God-ordained friendship.

Take a look around. Who’s influencing you?

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

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Choose Your Friends Carefully and Prayerfully

By Andrea Merrell

There are “friends” who destroy each other,

    but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24 NLT

 

The relationship was toxic. I knew it deep inside but didn’t know what to do. I loved my friend, but she was manipulative and deceitful. Our time together drained me every single time, leaving me emotionally spent. I needed the courage to walk away. Fortunately, by God’s grace, I moved to another state and that was, as they say, that.

God wants us to have healthy relationships. He sends people into our lives who will support and encourage us. Pray for us. Bring out the best in us. People who sincerely care and will be there for us no matter what. People who add value to our lives. Sometimes these relationships are only for a season. But sometimes they are forever.

When it comes to friendships, pastor and author Bob Gass gives us the perfect prayer:

Lord, I need your wisdom to recognize the friends and associates I should choose. Help me to steer clear of the relationships that lead me away from the path you’ve laid out for me. Send people into my life who are godly and wise and will help us both to bless, encourage, and contribute to the quality of each other’s lives. Show me the friendships that are worth fighting for, and I’ll gladly do it. Be Lord of all my relationships so they will be what you want them to be.

Honor the healthy relationships in your life. Thank God for them. Pray for them. Be that friend who sticks closer than a brother.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

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Honor the healthy relationships in your life.Thank God for them. Pray for them. Be that friend who sticks closer than a brother. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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