Restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse. (Mal 4:6)

Stewardship
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. (John 13:34)

God has entrusted all of us with relationships and He tells us how to manage them fruitfully. Obedience has rewards and disobedience has consequences in this life and in the life to come.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)

Blessed means happy. If you want to be happy, be a giver not a taker. Selfishness steals your happiness. You can develop and demonstrate:

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)

Relationship to Authority
God has delegated to each form of government the responsibility of protecting those entrusted to it. The governed are blessed with security unless they or the authorities rebel against God.

• Family government teaches the wisdom of God.
• Civil government teaches the justice of God.
• Church government teaches the love of God.

Learn self government before governing others. The whole family, community, or congregation suffers when stewards pervert, neglect, or overstep their role.

In our personal and public affairs we progressively reap what we sow in our relationships, in the way we govern, and in our respect for those who govern us.

Be Subject To One Another (Eph 5:21)
That is, if you want to be happy. Subject yourself to the needs of those you serve. Whether it’s with God, your boss, or your children, your relationships determine your everyday and eternal happiness.

Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Matt 20:26-28)

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Rom 5:6)

Choose Success over Failure
We can enjoy loving relationships with God and others; or we can suffer the loneliness of hurt feelings and a scabbed-over heart.

The amount of trust others have in you is one way to measure the health of your relationships. We have all tasted success and also contributed to relationship failures: happy and sweet or painful and divisive.

God shows us how to fix ruined relationships. We hurt our relationship with God; He had mercy and reached out to us by making a loving sacrifice.

God wants to forgive your sins and enjoy eternal fellowship with you. He wants to give you a new start and patiently help you learn to thrive on the truth.

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19)

Read & Discover: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

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