This week’s focus is on Scriptures that address relationships in the family. Sometimes family relationships can try our patients, get on our last nerves, and push our boundaries to the point that we want to scream.
In those situations, I encourage you to simply breathe. In the book of Genesis, God breathed the breath of life into Adam. In the Hebrew Language of the old testament, Nephesh is the Hebrew word that we translate “breathe.” However, this word has a double meaning and is often translated “soul” in other places of the Biblical text. In that context, let’s look at our scripture for today.
1st John 4:11-12. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
We breathe on an involuntary basis every moment of every day. Yet, when we choose to voluntarily breathe, we can choose to focus on its restorative power. If breath can be understood as representing the soul, then when you purposefully chose to breathe, you are breathing in the soul of God.
It is easy to love the lovable. As representatives of God lets tap into the resources of God by breathing in his breath of life and then love those who are hard to love as though God lives in us. . . because God does live in us.
I am Rev. David Morrow, a licensed marriage and family therapist. If you would like to comment or see reference material, go to www.fruitfulvinefamilyministries.com. You can also find out more information about the Christian family-oriented products and services that we provide at that same website, and that is your fruitful vine focus.