“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:1-11 NIV
How To Pursue Joyful Relationships
- Be GRATEFUL for them
“I thank my God every time I remember you” (Vs.3)
The longer you know someone
The more you take them for granted
The more you focus on their faults
The easier it becomes to build resentment
Gratefulness in relationships is a choice to remember the good things about them and to focus on the good times you have had.
2. Be PRAYERFUL for them
“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy” (Vs. 4)
- Pray for them rather than complaining about them
- The quickest way to change a bad relationship is to start praying for them
What Paul prayed
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Vs. 9-11)
Pray for your relationships too
Will grow in love (Vs.9)
Will make wise choices (Vs.9b-10a)
Will live with integrity (Vs.10b)
Will become like Jesus (Vs.11)
3. BELIEVE the best about them
“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Vs. 6)
Lead them to a God-centered confidence
Remind yourself and them of their potential
Exercise patience with them
4. Believe that you can love them like JESUS DOES
“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart…God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Vs. 7-8)
- Love with your heart rather than your head (If people are not on your heart they will get on your nerves)
“God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5 NIV
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16 NIV