The Hats We Wear, Part 2

Last week I talked about all the various hats we wear and the 5 critical questions for Self-Reflection.  This week we will begin to look at each of these questions in a bit more detail.  This type of exercise in Self-Reflection should put us in a good position to set those all-important goals for the coming year.

So, if you will recall the first question I posed last week was:

What are the roles I currently play or

expect to play in the future?

I also captioned this question by stating that this is the most basic part of the assessment, which I truly believe.  These roles tend to be relational in some way or another and fall into at least three broad categories: Family/Friends, Career, and Spiritual.  You may have more areas in your life, but these three are common to the vast majority of us, and I would contend that any other categories are likely just branches or sub-categories of these three.

If we are going to talk about relationships being at the center of each role being played in our lives, then I think we need to look back to Genesis 1:26 as a starting point:

Then God said;

"Let us make man in Our image,

according to Our likeness;

let them have dominion

over the fish of the sea,

over the birds of the air,

and over the cattle,

over all the earth

and over all the creeping things

on the earth."

Here God clearly sets us apart from the rest of His creation, and more importantly, in my opinion, He sets the standard for our relationship with others.  By stating "let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness," it leaves little doubt about how we should view others.  When we will look at others as being made in the image of God, it should impact the way we treat them.  God expects respect for His greatness and power, and he goes on in several places in scripture to highlight the love and respect we should have for one another.

And just as you want men

to do unto you,

you also do to them likewise.

Luke 6:31

"A new commandment I give to you,

that you love one another;

as I have loved you,

that you may also love one another."

John 13:34

These verses then set the foundation for our relationships and the roles that we will be playing.  As we build anything it is necessary to have a firm foundation, and these principles are bedrock upon which we can certainly build a strong and faithful life. 

Within those three categories there are many roles we may be called upon to play and each requires a different blend of skills or recipe for success.  Given that the holiday season is a time filled with many gatherings and tremendous amounts of food, it is only fitting that recipes should be a part of our discussion.  So here is my recipe for relational success:

Prayer 

(make it a point to pray for others first)

Patience

(knowing your own weaknesses and challenges, 

understand that others also face similar

if not more difficult circumstances)

Perspective

(be able to step back from a situation 

before leaping to conclusions)

Blend each of these in equal parts and allow them to simmer slowly. 

For additional flavor season with Love and Kindness.

Personally I love food that cooks slow and the flavors are allowed to build and blend together.  Such it is with our relationships.  The longer and slower we allow them to build the more we should be able to savor them.  When we keep this in mind it should powerfully influence how we take on each role in our lives.  This week think about your own recipe for relational success, as an impetus toward better fulfilling the roles in your life.  This is how you can Make Today GREAT, and perhaps tomorrow GREATER!