Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Covenant Relationships

If things were so bad that you were being shot at, who besides your family would be willing to take a bullet for you. Even better, who of your friends would you be willing to take a bullet for. That was the focus on Danny Silks talk on Covenant relationships tonight. I wish that I had the time to really go deep into the talk, but I have to get up at 3AM so this is probably going to be a pretty short post. But now back to the talk. Danny said that covenant relationships were never tested until there was a trial. We can say things to people and even write out contracts, but until something bad happens, the covenant is not tested.

For example a will isn’t worth the paper it is written on until you die, then it becomes binding. In covenant we have to be willing to die to ourselves. If you have been married for any length of time then you know that you have to die to yourself daily. Only by dying can you actually multiply. We need to see people live out covenant relationships to help us understand what they really are. Danny talked about his marriage, and how surrounding himself with people who were really in covenant he and Sherri learned how to live in covenant. He talked about how most marriages really weren’t in a covenant relationship. That makes sense, because most people really don’t understand covenant. I’m not sure that Julia and I understood it until much later in our marriage.

But walking in covenant is much more than just marriage. In reality we in the church should be walking in covenant with each other. Are we? I’m not sure. I do know that is the goal, but when we get upset and leave, that’s definitely not covenant. One question that came to mind for me was this. If you are in a covenant relationship in a church, what does that look like? Does that mean you can never leave, or does it mean that if you do leave it is not because of arguments, but because of destiny and calling. I think that is what it really means. That would limit church – hopping, but wouldn’t be legalistic and keep people from following their dreams and their destiny.

I know that I have been in a covenant relationship at RiverStone for a long time. It is good to have strong roots. Like the Redwoods, our roots should intertwine and intermingle. It’s amazing when I check my roots. In many ways they intertwine all over the city. Of course they are stronger in Marietta, but they stretch east and northeast and now south to Peachtree City. God is good, and He has allowed me to make covenant relationships in many places. It’s my job to walk in peace and love and maintaining relationships to the best degree possible.

It was so good to have Danny and Sherri here this week. They are such a blessing to the body. I learned a lot, in my mind and in my spirit.

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