Living Like Jesus - in Relationships
by Gary Johnson
Throughout 2025, our focus is to live like Jesus. Each month, we identify and pursue a trait seen in the life of Jesus. Why? We want 1 John 2:6 to become a reality in each of our lives, “If we claim to be Christians, we must live as Jesus lived.” In August, our focus is on relationships because Jesus wove family and friends into His life.
When we look at the many encounters that Jesus had with people, we see that Jesus met with a wide variety of people at different times and in different places. There were moments when Jesus met with multitudes of people, such as when He preached His Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1; 7:28) or when He fed the five thousand men plus women and children (Mt 14:21). Moreover, Jesus appeared to 500 people at the same time after He was resurrected (1 Cor 15:6), and He invested time training disciples, sending them out two-by-two (Luke 10:1). Yet, Jesus spent the most of His time doing life with the twelve disciples and even had three unique moments with the inner circle (i.e., James, Peter and John).
It should not surprise us that Jesus’ life was relationship rich. After all, before coming to earth, Jesus existed in perfect relationship among the Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Having been made in their image (Gen 1:26-27), we are capable of living life similarly. This is further affirmed by dozens of “one-another” directives throughout the New Testament (i.e., love one another, serve one another, pray for one another, forgive one another, et al). God intends for us to do life with one another.
A Reality Check
Be honest. Think about two essential spheres of relationships: family and friends. As we reflect on those two vitally important aspects of life, what words would you use to describe your relationships? Are they life-giving, rewarding, satisfying, robust? Or, rather, are they taxing, deflating, anxious, vengeful, demanding? Relationships are never easy. They require effort on our part.
When Jesus encountered ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19) and healed them, He told them to go and show themselves to priests. When they did so, they were healed. Similarly, when Jesus encountered the man who was born blind (John 9:1-7), He put some mud in the man’s eyes and told him to go and wash out the mud in a nearby pool. When the man did so, he returned to Jesus with his sight restored. Jesus, Master Physician and Lord over all Creation, could have healed leprosy and blindness instantly, on-the-spot and from a distance with a mere thought. Yet, He required all of these individuals to make an effort in order to receive a blessing. The same is true in EVERY relationship. If we want the blessing of a great marriage and family, along with a tremendous circle of friends, we must make concerted efforts in each relationship. Here are three practical ways to do so.
Know – Value – Love
A relationship that stands out in the New Testament that is both family and friend in nature is that of the Apostle Paul and Timothy. Their paths crossed with one another in Acts 16 (verses 1-4) when Paul took Timothy underwing as a part of his ministry team. Paul and Timothy became known to one another. As they worked together, Paul commended Timothy to the church in Philippi when he wrote to them saying of Timothy, “I have no one else like him…” (Phil 2:20). Paul valued Timothy. Finally, when Paul wrote to the troubled church in Corinth, he said of Timothy, “…I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord.” (1 Cor 4:17). Paul loved Timothy as his adopted son in the faith.
Known, valued, and loved are three distinct, intentional and necessary ways that we make an effort at relationships, hoping that we will enjoy family and friends in a most fulfilling and God-honoring way.
How well do you personally KNOW those in your life? Do you know their back story, their history? Do you know what brings them joy or sadness? Do you know their fears and failures, their strengths and weaknesses? When we make an effort to know one another’s stories, a relationship is made all the deeper.
How much do you sincerely VALUE those in your life? Do you speak words of appreciation to others verbally? Do you speak well of those in your life to others, just as Paul spoke well of Timothy to others? When we sincerely compliment, affirm and encourage others, a relationship is made all the more personal.
How much do you unconditionally LOVE those in your life? Love is more than an emotion; it is an action. “For God so loved the world that He gave…” Love is an action and not merely an emotion. Do you, by your actions and words, communicate love to those in your life? Can you imagine what Timothy felt when he heard—or read—of Paul’s love for him as his adopted son in the faith? Remember, Timothy’s biological father was a Greek (i.e., an unbeliever; Acts 16:1) and it may be that Paul was more of a father figure to Timothy than his actual father was. When we unconditionally love those in our lives—even when they are difficult to love, a relationship is made all the more priceless.
While in heaven, Jesus was in relationship. When incarnate on earth, Jesus was in relationship. Ascended back into heaven, Jesus is, still, in relationship. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). He exists in rich relationships. If we claim to be a Christian, we must live in relationship.
