Values - Priorities in Relationships

Thinking about the Kingdom values we are called to represent, I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing is more important than relationship. God wants a relationship with each of us, desiring a close, on-going walk with us. Only He can fill me to overflowing with His Love (24x7x365!) while at the same time filling countless others... never taking His eyes off each of us... showing the same intense passion for all His children. It’s His desire for each of us to reflect that same love to others, especially other believers (John 15:12), but to non-believers as well… don’t forget the great commission to make disciples and preach the Good News of His love and salvation to all peoples, tribes and nations!

This world has so many needs, and while we’re each called to minister to the needs of others, no one can do everything. It’s true: I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me (Phil 4:13), and I can learn to be all things to all people (1 Cor 9:22), but we can only understand this concept in the humility of who we are. There is only one God. Only One Being is the All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Fully-Good, Eternally-Sovereign Lord of the Universe. We are finite; He is infinite. So in the enormity of need, we can easily feel overwhelmed, and in that sense of insufficiency become paralyzed, potentially becoming numb to the great need of others in an attempt at emotional self-preservation. 

There’s a secular myth that adds to this burden; it inappropriately elevates the collective power of man to eradicate the pain and suffering of others, but the reality is that only God is Savior. So we need to remember that both individually and collectively, the Body can’t do everything to meet the needs of others. Sometimes we are privileged to be used by Him, but He is still perfectly capable of working directly to meet the needs of others or to shore up any imperfect action on our part. Through God’s inspiration and strength, we truly can do anything that He’s called us to do. We can be anything needed to accomplish the purpose He’s given us in this present moment. The outcome is in God’s hands, but the responsibility to play our part in the solution cannot be delegated. 

Each of us, every Child of God (CoG), is like a cogwheel in God’s design and every little turn we make in His direction creates a change in the world that reflects His Kingdom. Every CoG is part of God’s design and is important in His purposes, playing a valuable role, but every CoG can still be replaced. (John 15:5-6, Romans 11:10-24) The disciple is called to act no matter how small or how large the objective seems to be. The reality is that it’s not about us accomplishing anything (that’s God’s part), we are simply called to be faithful in our part. Putting it another way: It's not about building a kingdom... it's about living in it!

Living in the Kingdom means we are obedient to the order of that Kingdom and its two, all-encompassing laws to love God and to love others. There is a priority in relationships. The first commandment is to love God. The second is to love others. And like a cog, we impact the pieces that are closest to us. Our healthy interactions empower those around us, while our misaligned activities can damage the cogs nearest to us. 

I’ve written before about the Undifferentiated Church and hinted to the values that I believe should be part of every church. The values of church need to reflect Christ’s message. They are used as a plumb-line for the activities that support the mission, keeping us on track. These common values are:

  1. Abiding in Christ
  2. Setting priorities in relationships 
  3. Living in the wisdom of Scripture
  4. Expanding the Kingdom
  5. Pursuing healthy lifestyles

The two driving values (#1 and #2 above) are what our spiritual walk is all about. The remaining, supporting values maintain a healthy, growing and sustainable community.

I have found it difficult these past several months to find the time to blog, but with God’s help I intend to explain and expand on these core values. Please pray for me that I find the time and words to convey this message and that it reach others who can make an impact on church cultures. Feedback is always welcome!

copyright ©2014 Mitchell Malloy (http://mitchellmalloyblogspot.com/)

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