Counting Every Blessing: The Blessing of Relationships

Counting Blessings • Sermon • Submitted 6 months ago • Presented 6 months ago

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Only 4 days until Thanksgiving. I like Thanksgiving and have many fond memories from my childhood – food, football, and family top the list.

So today I want us to be thankful for the relationships we have.

I came across this prayer this week that I want to pray for all of us today especially those facing this season mourning a loss:

“Dear God, we are here to express our gratitude for all your blessings. You have given us so much, not only providing what we need to live, but in giving us yourself. We are richly blessed, and it is right to acknowledge that you are the source of all good things. Yet this season also brings a mix of emotions to us. We confess our thanks, but also our sadness because of the empty place at our table. We know that death and sorrow were not your original plan, but we also know that you use difficulties to draw us closer to you and to each another. Here and now fill the empty places in our hearts and the empty place at our table. Teach us to savor the moments we have with one another, to rightly remember what we have lost, but also to look forward in hope to what we have promised in the future. Thank you for all your blessings, for even through trials and loss you always, somehow reveal your goodness. In Jesus name we pray.”

Let’s take this time as we count every blessing to number among them the relationship we have and how they enrich our lives so much. Here are three ways relationships bless us.

Relationships Reflect The Communal Nature of God

God, by His very nature, is relational. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in perfect harmony, a divine relationship that models for us the importance of community.

In Genesis 1:26, God said, "Let us make mankind in our image." The "us" reflects this divine community, and being made in God's image means that we were created for relationships as well.

Relationships reflect God’s communal nature. Our friendships, families, and communities are echoes of the Trinity—living, breathing reminders that we are not meant to live in isolation. The blessing of relationships may very well indeed be one aspect of what is meant when we are created in the image of God.

Relationships are the clearest reminder that we were not meant to go through life alone. God, in His wisdom, knew we would need one another. The only thing about creation that is not deemed good is the fact that Adam was alone.

He knew, as He says in the Garden of Eden, “It is not good for man to be alone.”

Genesis 2:18 (NIV) — 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Just think of how life is so much better with people around.

There’s an old proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.

Think of how much you’ve been able to accomplish – how may trials you’ve made it through – because you had someone by your side.

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 (NIV)— 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

This passage beautifully illustrates the strength found in relationships. Alone, we are vulnerable, but together, we are stronger.

But beyond the practical benefits, relationships remind us of God’s love. The love we receive from others points us to the love that God has for us. And when we love others well, we reflect that same love back into the world.

Take a moment to think about the people in your life—friends, family, mentors, or coworkers. These individuals are not random; they are blessings. Their love, care, and support mirror God's own heart for you.

Relationships Help Us Bear Each Other's Burdens

The most common way to refer to Christians is “brothers and sisters.” There are over 50 “one another” passages in the New Testament.

(https://www.watermark.org/blog/the-one-anothers-of-scripture)

In Galatians 6:2, Paul writes,

Galatians 6:2 (NIV) — 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

One of the greatest blessings of relationships is that they provide a support system. When life gets heavy—and it will—God often uses the people around us to lighten the load.

Think about the times in your life when you’ve felt overwhelmed. Who were the people who stood by you, prayed with you, or even just listened? That’s a gift from God. These relationships aren’t just meant for enjoyment; they’re meant for support. We are called to bear one another’s burdens.

But it goes both ways. Not only are we blessed to have people who help us in our times of need, but we are also called to be that blessing to others. Jesus set the perfect example of this kind of love—He bore our greatest burden, our sin, so that we could live in freedom. As followers of Christ, we are called to love like that, to show up for each other, especially when life gets hard. Especially when we need help overcoming the “mountains” of life.

This week, consider how you can bear someone else's burden. Who in your life is struggling right now? Is there someone who needs a listening ear, a word of encouragement, or a helping hand? Relationships are gifts, not just for us to receive support, but also for us to give it… Relationships are reciprocal, and through the process of giving and receiving we build our faith through one another.

Joy shared is multiplied and pain shared is divided

Relationships Build Us Up in Faith

While relationships provide love and support, they also serve a higher purpose: they build us up in faith. God uses people to sharpen us, encourage us, and challenge us to grow in our walk with Him.

Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) — 17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

The people in our lives are meant to help us grow spiritually.

The church, as a community of believers, is perhaps the clearest example of this. We gather to worship, pray, and study the Word together, and in doing so, we strengthen one another's faith. Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages us,

Hebrews 10:24–25 (NIV) — 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

God designed us to be part of a community where we can be built up and where we can build others up.

Think about your own spiritual journey. Who has walked with you through difficult times? Who has spoken words of truth or correction that helped you grow? And who have you encouraged in their faith? Relationships are not just for emotional or physical support—they are essential to our spiritual development. They are meant to spur us onward and upwards as we grow into Christ.

As we recognize the blessing of relationships, we should commit ourselves to fostering them in a way that points each other to Christ. Let’s strive to be people who encourage, uplift, and build up the faith of those around us.

Spiritual relationships also help us in spiritual discernment. I used to read this passage and think it referred to worship, but it really is more in the context of making good decisions.

Matthew 18:19–20 (NIV)— 19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Now, I want to leave you with several points of application for this week:

Cultivate gratitude for your relationships:

Spend time thanking God for the people He has placed in your life. Reach out to someone this week and let them know how much they mean to you.

Be intentional in bearing burdens: Ask God to show you someone who may be carrying a heavy burden right now. Find a way to support them, whether through prayer, conversation, or practical help.

Build up others in faith: Make an effort to encourage someone in their walk with Christ. Whether it's a word of affirmation, a Bible verse, or a time of prayer together, be the iron that sharpens someone else's faith.

As we commit ourselves to the relationships around us we will see faith grow. In ourselves and others, as we pursue Christ together. The thanksgiving season is an excellent time to reflect on and appreciate the relationships we have. Certainly, one of the greatest blessings we have is one another:

So many memories

I’d love to go back and smell the turkey, relax to watch a game – but if I had to choose one of those memories it would be the people – to spend another day with them

And the beautiful thing – we will – Heaven is described as a place we will all be together – It’s talked about like a great feast – a party with all the sons and daughters of God – I like how Paul describes it:

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (NIV) — 13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

This is what really makes life wonderful – love them, appreciate them, and even though there will be some who are not there this year – close your eyes and imagine seeing them again

When God created us in community He did a good thing.

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