THE CHANLLENGE OF CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIP

THE CHANLLENGE OF CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIP
By Sam Akighgbe
The word relationship naturally brings to mind, the concept of marriage or dating. But in this series, I am going to be viewing it from a different perspective. Not just relationships as is construed, but interpersonal relationship which basically has to do with the way we deal with one another.

There is no gainsaying the fact that this issue is a major challenge in the church today. There are believers who are born again, spirit-filled and have a good relationship with God, but when it comes to dealing with people it is nothing to write home about. There are many reasons behind this, and we shall examine them one after the other.

Claiming to be very holy and close to God, some Christians see other believers as carnal and not genuine, therefore leading a secluded life hiding under the guise of not being unequally yoked together… well I leave that for you to think about.

Another reason is that, many Christians today are too proud, even in the church. But before we begin to point accusing fingers, let us ask ourselves these questions. Do you see anything good in people, especially those you think you are better than? Do you behave or act like people deserve your respect or attention, irrespective of who they are? And how do people feel about your attitude towards them, especially those who are not your friends? If you cannot provide honest answers to these questions, then you may be proud and you need to check that very fast because, pride goes before a fall. (Pr.16:18).

Others are class-sensitive. This describes Christians who choose people they relate to within the church based on material things; this is to say that their judgement is hinged on one’s appearance and how much one has achieved, one’s family background and level of education. Falling short in any of these, completely disqualifies you from being in their class. But consider this, if Jesus Christ came with this kind of attitude how many do you think would have been saved?

On the other hand, you may want to ask this question: Can everybody can be my friend? The answer to that is emphatically No! But can you relate with everybody? Yes you can, if you really have the love of God in you. 1 John 4:20 says you cannot despise your brother (fellow people around you) and claim to love God whom you have not seen.

Now note that the foundation of any genuine and godly relationship is rooted in the concept of agape love. Love is generally defined as a strong feeling of deep affection towards someone or something. But agape love is stronger than that because it is not just a feeling. It is an expression of a positive attitude towards people irrespective of who they are. Note that difference! One is based on feelings and the other is a deliberate decision we must learn to make if truly we are children of God. PF