By Dr. Bill Lewis
Written for the March 2006 Georgia State Association of FWB Promotional Bulletin
In their book, How to Counsel From Scripture, Martin and Diedre Bobgan reference the work of Leonard Syme who at the time the book was written was a professor of epidemiology (study of epidemic diseases) at the University of California at Berkeley. Professor Syme’s research showed that social ties are excellent preventive medicine. The Bobgans state, “He (i.e., Syme) believes that the more social ties, the better the health and the lower the death rate. Conversely, he indicates that the more isolated the person, the poorer the health and the higher the death rate.” Relationships are important to our well being, and a desire to help people develop healthy relationships ought to be at the core of a churches value system. However, too often the development of relationships seems to take a secondary or nonexistent place in preference to other programs in the church. At times, churches allow their structure to interfere with relationship development. In His teaching Jesus certainly placed an emphasis on relationships. This can be seen in His response to the lawyer who questioned Him concerning the greatest commandment. In Matthew 22:37-39 (NASB) Jesus responded to the lawyer’s question, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus went own in verse 40 to say, “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Note that Jesus stated first the need to “love the Lord your God.” Your relationship to God is primary because getting that relationship right insures your relationship to others, to yourself, and to God’s creation will be right. In fact in Luke 12, Jesus lets us know that to gather wealth in this world without developing a “rich” relationship with God is foolish. Consequently, if you are having issues with others, yourself, or God’s creation your beginning point for a solution to your issues is to examine your relationship with God. At Open Door Fellowship we hold as one of our core values relationships. While we strive to build a church in Valdosta for God and Free Will Baptists, we want to build the church by helping those who attend the fellowship build strong relationships first with God and then with themselves, others, and God’s creation. This is not an easy task. It is much easier to put programs in place then to deal with people and all their problems, but the latter is the focus of our Savior and it should be our focus also. Pray that Open Door Fellowship remains true to the task. Pray that we will reach out and help people come to know and then grow in the Lord.