Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[Transcript of “A 5 minute cuppa” published by Horley Baptist Church on YouTube^[1], April 2021]

Hi everyone, welcome to ‘a five minute cuppa’. This is the place that you can come any time of day, just for five minutes, to relax, put your feet up, have a cuppa and listen to a few words to help you grow in your relationship with God.

In our five minute cuppa sessions we have been thinking about how we can develop our relationship with our heavenly Father and draw closer to him in a way that will make a real difference to our lives. We’ve talked about the importance of having a secret place to regularly pause with God and how to develop two-way communication where hearing his voice in our lives becomes just as real as the words, thoughts and heart attitude we have towards him. Today we’re going to think about the part that other people play in helping us to develop a closer relationship with God.

It was God’s intention that as we grow in relationship with him that we do this alongside others. The Bible talks about walking with the wise to become wise. It is our highest calling, after loving God, to love others but not everyone that God calls us to love is wise. I have found that in seeking to grow closer to God I have also had to recognize those on a similar journey and intentionally spend time with people who are like-minded. There is a phrase in Proverbs that says “as iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another”. When I think of this I imagine two iron rods rubbing against each other and causing friction that creates a spark. Similarly, I believe that God wants us all to have those relationships where our love for one another also causes us to challenge one another so we have an opportunity to grow and become more effective people.

One thing I’ve noticed over my years relating to people in a church context and even with friends and family is that often we don’t do conflict or address difficult situations well. We can sometimes be too nice, thinking that by ignoring problems and not rocking the boat we are doing the most loving thing. By taking this approach, though, we can feed the spiritual atmosphere that causes us to become stuck in ways that are unhelpful to our relationships, even doing them long-term damage. I’m so thankful to have had people in my life that have loved me enough to take the time to understand what’s been going on with my thought patterns and have fed in questions or wise words that have set me on a better path where I’ve been able to confront issues and prayerfully battle through to find God-confidence and peace.

When I think about these people I notice some precious but rarely seen characteristics. ‘Iron sharpeners’ are curious about the people they talk to, they give people their full attention and presence, they have an ear open to the Holy Spirit so that Godly wisdom, rather than just human wisdom, feeds the atmosphere, They have a knack of asking questions that stop people in their tracks and make them think; that, as the conversation progresses, really help to get to the heart of the matter, creating that spark needed to find the right path. I really believe that pausing and being present with someone is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.

I wonder when was the last time you experienced someone doing this for you; when was the last time you did this for someone else? If you want to experience this kind of relationship of trust both the receiving and the giving then just ask for it. Ask for the faith too to walk in this, to be able to sustain a relationship through the sparks without running to take cover. Look out eagerly for the people God brings along your path and take the opportunities he gives. These relationships really are a gift if we are prepared to take them and part of what Jesus promised when he said that one of the reasons for him coming was that he wants us to experience life in all of its fullness.

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[1] YouTube link: Iron Sharpens Iron
Bible references: Proverbs 27 v17
 

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