Assess your horizontal relationships

How well do we relate with our family, friends and neighbours?

You have probably heard the statement by Oliver Wendell Holmes, “Some people are so heavenly-minded they are of no earthly good.” Christians should not be so singularly focused on the afterlife that they neglect the needs of their neighbours and the nations.

However, C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity argues it is precisely those who think about heaven deeply who are prepared to do the most in this world:

“If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, and the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven.”

If we invest in our vertical relationship, we will also be concerned with our horizontal relations.

How we relate with family and those around us significantly impacts the kind of legacy we leave. Jesus commanded us to love one another, according to John 13. Through love, the world will know that we are his disciples. Jesus set an example by investing in spending time with his disciples, whom he referred to as friends in John 15:13-15. His friendship with the family of Lazarus, Mary and Martha is evident when he refers to Lazarus as “our friend” when he addressed his disciples ( John11:11). He visited the wedding at Cana of Galilee. (John 2:1-12). While at the wedding, Jesus set an example by providing a solution to a problem when they run out of wine.

We can learn valuable lessons from the life of Jesus on how he demonstrated his love for his family and friends.