Add to Your Faith

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  01/30/22

Can you imagine a group of carpenters gathering to build a skyscraper without architectural blueprints? The results would be horrendous! Have you ever heard of a medical student failing his medical exams numerous times and still having a successful career as a physician? This would be impossible!

You would never entrust your health to someone who has not passed his medical exams, and you would never live in a home that was built without a plan. Just as we need structure for buildings, we also need structure in our relationships.

On any level, this can prove to be challenging. Whether dealing with a spouse, sibling, parent, child, co-worker, boss, or friend, the key to building solid relationships is learning how to interact successfully with one another.

When it comes to the subject of relationships, what is your greatest fear? Rejection? Or do you struggle with the thought of not meeting someone’s expectations? Don’t despair; God has given His Word to you as a guide.

God knows how to deal with all types of people. When you develop Christlike characteristics in your own life, you begin to view others as God views them. Second Peter 1:5-7 tells us to “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”

Today, ask God to impart to you His love and acceptance of others. When you choose to become more like Christ in your relationships, God will give you the ability to love and live in harmony with those around you.

Prayer: Lord, I confess that I am frequently self-absorbed in my relationships and overly concerned with others’ views of me. Help me to remember who I am in You, to find my confidence in You, and to love others freely as people made in Your image. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Finally, all of you be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble” (1 Peter 3:8).