IS RELATIONSHIP ALL ABOUT GIVE AND TAKE?

I have read and heard so much about relationship as to what it ought to be by several people from all walks of life. Perhaps, most people tend to define relationship based on their view, what they read or have watched and their personal experience about it.

Popularly, you’d hear people say that relationship is all about ‘give and take’. Undoubtedly, it’s true but many do not know what they ought to give and what they’re not supposed to give. There are some things that are deemed suitable to give and there are many things you don’t have to give. An ignorance of this simple truth has cost many their life and destiny. Yet, they cry and make a generalized statement about the gender that does them evil.

There are some things you need to give in marriage that you’re not meant to give in any other forms of relationship. When you give what you’re not meant to give outside marriage, giving that thing in marriage is nothing but a leftover. What are you to give?

1. Friendship

For a relationship that’s not leading to marriage and even if it is, the most important thing you’ve got to give is your friendship. Many have lost the art of friendship and replaced it with ‘sexship’. In friendship, boundaries are to be defined and redefined; strings are not meant to be attached and the welfare of each others are to be cared for.

Being friends with another isn’t meant to ruin or wreck your life. When friendship rights are exclusively mutual, both parties would benefit. However, the kind of friends you have would determine the outcome of your relationship. Remember, iron is meant to sharpen iron and the same goes for friendship too (Prov. 27:17). What are the things you’re NOT to give?

1. Your heart

The human heart is fragile, whether you’re a man or woman. Any relationship that isn’t leading to marriage, which you’re not convincingly sure of shouldn’t take a large portion of your heart. When you give the larger part of your heart to someone who doesn’t know its worth, you have given them the opportunity to ruin your life.

Whether in marriage or friendship, all of your heart isn’t meant for your spouse or friend. You know why? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and might” (Luke 10:27).

If anyone takes the place of God in your heart, be ready to face the consequence, big time! No matter how loving he or she may see, they can’t love you better than God.

Enough of the empty love talk when you’re toasting him or her or they’re toasting you, only God can love you forever. Man will only promise to stand by you whenever the going is good, as soon as it is bad or worse, they’ll go to where the grass is greener. When you give your heart to God in unfeign love, He knows the heart of the right person to give. But you’re not far from heart break and the likes when you give your heart to a man or woman. This is the truth you mustn’t trivialize!

2. Your body

A lot of people are blinded to the fact that they don’t own their bodies. God created it and you’re but only a custodian. Giving your body in a relationship for whatever reason is stupidity and the beginning of failure.

Some people give their body for love on the altar of premarital sex, some give their bodies as a means for immoralities. Why? My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6)!

Why would you use your body to prove to him or her that you indeed love him or her? Why would you allow someone to tap “current” from your body because you feel it’s normal?

Wake up folks! Your body first belong to God, He gave it to you (your spirit lives in there) and He knows the right person to give if you’d allow Him.

Relationship is all about give and take but you don’t give what would destroy your own life for love. That’s the greatest height of folly! Give nothing but friendship, where no strings are attached and boundaries are defined. Not everyone would agree to these truth but you can do nothing about the truth: it’s either you take it and allow it to save you or neglect it and be exposed to its consequence! Give what wouldn’t cost you or that you’d have to regret in the nearest future.

Topic: Consistent Christians? [Wednesday 11, May

Memorise: And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. – Revelation 22:12

Read: Revelation 22:11-14 (KJV) 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Bible in One Year: 2 Kings 10:18-12:21, Proverbs 22:29-23:13

MESSAGE:

At the beginning of his ministry, Paul took a ride in a basket as he escaped for his life in Damascus (2 Corinthians 11:32-33). But the God who delivered him from the garrison at Damascus, allowed him to end up in jail at Philippians (Act 16). Because God answered a particular prayer yesterday does not mean that He would repeat another in exactly the same manner.

In Acts 16:25, Paul conducted a worship service in prison right in the midst of chains and bonds. He never complained. Paul learnt to praise God in whatever circumstance he found himself. Not many people can praise God when thrown into prison for the sake of the Gospel. He was prepared to undertake the worst of sufferings for the Kingdom of God (Philippians 1:20-21). He was not ashamed. Are you ashamed to suffer minor ridicule, persecutions, denials, beatings for His Name today? Paul could say we should become a living sacrifice to God because he was one.

In African traditional religion, when a bird or animal is brought as a sacrifice to an idol, the giver forfeits his right to that animal; it becomes the property of the idol for the rest of its life. Whether it lives or dies or is given to someone is at the discretion of the idol. That living sacrifice may be fed so well in one moment and killed the next minute. This explains the term living sacrifice. You should be so yielded to God to the extent of delivering to Him the greatest pleasure in whatever you do. If dying for the Gospel will give Him the height of pleasure, you should be prepared to die like Stephen. The preparedness of Daniel to go into the lion’s den demonstrates that he was a living sacrifice. But in the end, instead of death, his faith compelled a decree for the whole world to fear Daniel’s God.
If my death can produce a United Nations decree compelling all nations of the world to worship no other god other than my God– the true and living God, I will gladly be on my way to Heaven. Are you a living sacrifice? And to what extent?

Prayer Point: Father, please give me the grace to always look unto You for everything I need in life