“Healthy relationships recognize the necessity of Christ’s ongoing mediation, which provides a safe environment and a pathway for clear communication and mutual understanding.“
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – November 11, 2022
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6
Beautifully, Jesus Christ is the mediator between us and our most important relationship, God. In our Creator’s perfect timing, Jesus Christ came to earth from the riches of heaven to experience the poverty of humanity’s sinfulness, so He might give Himself as a ransom for all people. Imagine the cross of Christ as a bridge between heaven and earth, God and mankind. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ became a mediator—go between, so now, all can come to God through total trust in Jesus Christ as the payment for their sins. The severed relationship with perfect love has been restored by perfect love—Christ’s enduring relational mediation.
Not only does Christ’s mediation bring relational wholeness with God, but also between the pinnacle of His creation, human beings. Relational wholeness between individuals is achievable when Jesus Christ is the relational focal point of…spouses, parents/children, siblings, friends, co-workers, students, even enemies. The best mediators are experienced, skilled and objective, so both parties totally trust their competence, character and conclusions. First, by faith, make Christ your mediator between yourself and God, and second, by faith make Christ mediator in your relationships. Healthy relationships recognize the necessity of Christ’s ongoing mediation, which provides a safe environment and a pathway for clear communication and mutual understanding. Not always in 100% agreement, but with generous love and respect toward the other. Christ’s relational mediation grows two people into an enduringly rich, real love…drawing closer to God and closer to each other.
“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Corinthians 13:7, NLT).
Henri Nouwen inspires and instructs on the idea of inviting Christ into the relational center:
“Friendship requires a constant willingness to forgive each other for not being Christ and a willingness to ask Christ himself to be the true center. When Christ does not mediate a relationship, that relationship easily becomes demanding, manipulating, oppressive, an arena for many forms of rejection. An unmediated friendship cannot last long; you simply expect too much of the other and cannot offer the other the space he or she needs to grow. Friendship requires closeness, affection, support, and mutual encouragement, but also distance, space to grow, freedom to be different, and solitude. To nurture both aspects of a relationship, we must experience a deeper and more lasting affirmation than any human relationship can offer.”
Take an audit of current relationships and an autopsy of past relationships. Collaborate and pray together for ways to keep Jesus in the relational center as your mediator, so you both look to Him for affirmation, security and identity as His beloved child. Relationships without faith in Jesus Christ at centerstage wistfully go through the motions, at best acting out in ways imagined as what the other wants or at worse complaining and blaming the other for relational manipulation or malfeasance. You know Jesus is mediating your relationship when love is your motivation, kind words permeate the conversation, forgiveness is freely given and you lead with empathy and comfort. A humble heart trusts Jesus to grow both of you into…His best version of you.
“He knew those who would be His one day, and He chose them beforehand to be conformed to the image of His Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn of a new family of believers, all brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29, VOICE).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, remind me to keep Jesus as my relational mediator, through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
Who do I need to have a conversation with about reinstating Christ as our relational mediator?
Related Reading
Mark 10:45; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 3:20; Hebrews 9:15
Worship Resource
Sarah Hart: Hymn to Christ the King
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