Who Will Journey with You?

Who Will Journey with You?

RELATIONSHIPS

Who will journey with you?

John 15:9-17 (MSG)

“‘I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.

“‘I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.

“‘You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.

“‘But remember the root command: Love one another.’”

ENCOUNTER

We were created as relational beings. We were made in the image of God to be in relationship with God and with each other.

How is love integrated into your relationship with God? How are you making yourself at home in his love?

How is love integrated into your relationships with others on your life journey? How have you put your life on the line recently for those with whom you are journeying?

What is the most meaningful take-away for you from this passage in John 15 as it relates to your relationship with God or with others?

ENGAGEMENT

God never intended you to go alone in your journey. The New Testament value of community and fellowship is repeated again and again, whether it is by bearing one another’s burdens, having all things in common, or forgiving each other.

The apostle Paul describes how relationships work for believers in Romans 12:9-16 (MSG):

“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

“Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

“Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.”

Where and when have you engaged in community at this level? How has this degree of relationship helped form who you are as a Christ follower? Who you are as a leader?

EXPERIENCE

When you begin to dig deep relationally, you experience life at a deeper level. Your journey is marked by identifiable behaviors:

  • masks come off
  • conversations get deep
  • hearts get vulnerable
  • lives are shared
  • accountability is invited
  • tenderness flows

It is an experience different from when, as a younger leader, you ventured forward in anonymity, isolation, and independence.

Who are the two or three key people with whom you are journeying deeply? What value do they bring to your relationship and to your journey overall?

EXPRESSION

Accountability is a key part of relationship. It means being open at a deep enough level that those who care about us are willing to ask hard questions, confront when appropriate, and help us stay holy as we journey on. We are able to speak truth to each other regarding:

  • sin and temptation
  • use of our time and priorities
  • commitment to our family
  • financial decisions
  • spiritual growth
  • living true to our calling

Who are the key people in your life who hold you accountable? Where is the place where you need greater accountability? Where are you most susceptible to stumbling in your journey? What are your identified blind spots?

IMPACT

Change happens best in relationship—whether it is change in our lives personally, changes we need to make as leaders, or changes that need to occur in our ministry. Our leadership journey does not happen alone.

What steps do you need to take relationally to deepen the value others can contribute to your life and leadership journey?

J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership

“We must be willing to receive from others as well as give to others.Some sacrificial souls delight in sacrificing themselves but are unwilling to allow others to reciprocate. They do not want to feel obligated to others.But leadership requires openness to others.To neglect receiving kindness and help is to isolate oneself, to rob others of opportunity, and to deprive oneself of sustenance.”[1]

[1] J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1994), 55.