Made for Relationship (1 Cor. 16:19-24)

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. The greeting is in my own hand—Paul. If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(1 Corinthians 16:19-24, NASB)

I just love how God made us for relationship. With Him. With others.

Paul certainly understood the importance of relationships. In all his letters, he began by greeting his brothers and sisters in Christ with joy and love. He so desired they grow in faith, and it’s clear he dearly loved them. He mentioned friends by name, like Aquila and Prisca, and he continually prayed for them.

I too dearly love the people with whom God has blessed me. Right now, this is especially true as I’m in rehearsals for a play with several of my “girls.” I’ve mentioned before that God chose not to give my husband and me children. But He’s blessed me abundantly with “children of my heart.” I have “daughters” who actually call me “mama,” and I love them so very much. Last night, one of them sat on my lap and just loved on me (even though she’s about ready to graduate high school!).

Then there’s my wonderful husband. Since I’ve been in rehearsals every night for the last week (and will do so for the next two nights before opening weekend), I haven’t really spent a lot of time with him. And I miss him. Because God has made me for relationship, and one of those relationships is with Russ …

If you’re reading this devotional, it’s probably because you’re my friend or part of my family. And so, I pray along with Paul: “Maranatha [Come, O Lord!]. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”