The Queen
We just arrived home late last night after attending a funeral for my wife’s grandmother this week in West Virginia (the mountains are so beautiful there!). Her grandmother was 88! – She lived a very long life. While we were there we got a chance to hang out with many members of my wife’s family that we haven’t/don’t see that often.
We all talked about how we should be getting together more frequently. There was talk of scheduling a “reunion” of sorts for all of the family members sooner than later so that the young cousins could play together and the older members could spend some time hanging out, etc. All of us agreed that this would be a very good idea and are looking forward to this happening sometime very soon. It is always a sad reminder though that it always takes an event like this to pull everyone together.
What I was reminded of the most this week was something that we often forget.
We need to cultivate our relationships.
While many people will agree that when you are creating something – whether it is a book, a song, an app, a website, etc. that “content is king”, we also have to remember that “relationships are queen”.
I myself am most guilty of this – forging ahead with whatever I am doing, yet forgetting about the importance of building and maintaining relationships – whether they be personal (i.e. family/friends) or business (colleagues/peers).
My encouragement today is for the Real Christian Businessman to realize that he cannot do it alone. When God created us for this world He didn’t want us to do it alone – He wanted us to be in community with others.
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. (Romans 12:9-10)
Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. (Phil 2:4)
Schedule some time with your family. Grab coffee with that colleague that has been unemployed. Email a friend you haven’t heard from in a while. Instant Message your buddy that just got a new job.
Stay connected with folks – don’t put yourself on an island. God didn’t design us this way and your life will be much more fulfilled when you do this.
What can you do this week to put relationships back at the forefront?