Post by David on May 8, 2009 0:11:26 GMT -5
Within the society of mankind, there is a universal truth, not the only one but one: No one (with a healthy mind) wants to be alone. However, it occurred to me recently that even though this desire is universal, the path to a healthy relationship is, quite apparently, not universally understood. As a Christian, when I come across a problem, I try to look for the perfect path that is revealed within the Trinity. So, I find myself asking, "Where does God reveal the blueprint for relationships?" It has been years but I believe that God has finally revealed the foundation to the answer. It is so simple and yet has eluded my understanding until now. The blueprint for a healthy relationship is found with our relationship with God as shown throughout the Bible.
In our relationship with God, we first understand Him mentally. We grow in our knowledge and understanding of who He is and His characteristics. This is by no means a full and complete understanding of God. With this, our foundation of the relationship is built. Then, after the foundation is formed, we begin to spiritually understand who God is through our heart. We start to feel what He feels, we grow a stronger spiritual connection that we draw strength from. Our emotions are invested and protected. We are allowed to love freely and fulfill our spiritual and emotional needs. After we understand mentally and spiritually who God is, after we know His character and are spiritually joined by His Spirit, we create a covenant with Him. We unify our mind and soul with God through baptism. This covenant is a bond that joins God with us. It is only allowed through the purity that Christ has given us by our acceptance and allegiance to Christ before the baptism. After the unification with God through baptism, does God then join us physically so that we may go into the world and do His works. We see here mental, spiritual, and physical connections or stages. Though, preceding the physical there is a covenant, baptism. Through these stages we become one with God. That is not to say that we are God for in this relationship we maintain our separate and individual personas.
So, as we now see, our relationships should follow this same path. First, we mentally understand who our partner is; know their character. If their character is desirable, then we begin to understand them through your heart. We begin to bond with them spiritually and grow a platonic connection with them. We grow a sympathetic connection with them that allows us to be sensitive to their emotions and emotional needs. After we understand their character and who they are mentally and connect with their spirit and who they are emotionally and spiritually, we then are allowed, through the blessing of God, to create a covenant which is marriage. This covenant is a bond that joins you with your partner; a divine bond allowed and blessed by God if the relationship up to this point has remained within His desires and so, pure. We can, of course, perform this bond outside of God’s blessings but that is exactly what it is: outside of His blessings. After the bond of this covenant we are then joined physically with our partner. Through these stages we become one with our partner. That, as with God, does not say that we are one and lose our separate and individual spirits and personas.
This is the healthy, true and right path of all relationships (though, only romantic relationships bond with the covenant and into the physical). However, the world, as in its norm, is a corrupted place, for Satan is its ruler and he is our adversary. The world tries to twist this perfect form and tell us that we can, and should, begin on the wrong end of the path; that we should start on the path with the physical and through the physical understand the spiritual and mental. Trust God. He says that if you follow His ways, He will bless you. I have seen proof of this! The way God blesses a relationship that follows these guidelines truly and continually amazes me.
Amen, I say to you, Amen.
In our relationship with God, we first understand Him mentally. We grow in our knowledge and understanding of who He is and His characteristics. This is by no means a full and complete understanding of God. With this, our foundation of the relationship is built. Then, after the foundation is formed, we begin to spiritually understand who God is through our heart. We start to feel what He feels, we grow a stronger spiritual connection that we draw strength from. Our emotions are invested and protected. We are allowed to love freely and fulfill our spiritual and emotional needs. After we understand mentally and spiritually who God is, after we know His character and are spiritually joined by His Spirit, we create a covenant with Him. We unify our mind and soul with God through baptism. This covenant is a bond that joins God with us. It is only allowed through the purity that Christ has given us by our acceptance and allegiance to Christ before the baptism. After the unification with God through baptism, does God then join us physically so that we may go into the world and do His works. We see here mental, spiritual, and physical connections or stages. Though, preceding the physical there is a covenant, baptism. Through these stages we become one with God. That is not to say that we are God for in this relationship we maintain our separate and individual personas.
So, as we now see, our relationships should follow this same path. First, we mentally understand who our partner is; know their character. If their character is desirable, then we begin to understand them through your heart. We begin to bond with them spiritually and grow a platonic connection with them. We grow a sympathetic connection with them that allows us to be sensitive to their emotions and emotional needs. After we understand their character and who they are mentally and connect with their spirit and who they are emotionally and spiritually, we then are allowed, through the blessing of God, to create a covenant which is marriage. This covenant is a bond that joins you with your partner; a divine bond allowed and blessed by God if the relationship up to this point has remained within His desires and so, pure. We can, of course, perform this bond outside of God’s blessings but that is exactly what it is: outside of His blessings. After the bond of this covenant we are then joined physically with our partner. Through these stages we become one with our partner. That, as with God, does not say that we are one and lose our separate and individual spirits and personas.
This is the healthy, true and right path of all relationships (though, only romantic relationships bond with the covenant and into the physical). However, the world, as in its norm, is a corrupted place, for Satan is its ruler and he is our adversary. The world tries to twist this perfect form and tell us that we can, and should, begin on the wrong end of the path; that we should start on the path with the physical and through the physical understand the spiritual and mental. Trust God. He says that if you follow His ways, He will bless you. I have seen proof of this! The way God blesses a relationship that follows these guidelines truly and continually amazes me.
Amen, I say to you, Amen.
