Choose to be Fully Present
“After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.” I Samuel 18:1
Deep relationship requires that we be fully present to the other person. No distractions, no hidden agendas, no selfish motives. This was certainly true of the deep relationship between Jonathan, King Saul’s son, and David, the next King of Israel. Though Jonathan, the heir apparent, knew David would reign on the throne instead of him, he stayed fully present to David’s need and risked his life for his friend.
Several things can stand in the way of this kind of deep relationship. Those who are always in a hurry cannot be fully present. Because they have filled their lives with so many things, they cannot engage in one relationship or activity without thinking about what happens next. Those who are preoccupied with worry and anxiety cannot be fully present. Their minds are always distracted with what might happen or what might go wrong. Those who are emotionally shut down cannot be fully present. Fear of rejection, fear of hurt, or fear of abandonment keep them from giving their heart fully to anyone.
Since we were created for relationship, we cannot experience life to the fullest without deep relationships. Choosing life may mean dealing with the reasons we are not fully present to our relationships.
Truth: Your relationships are only as deep as you are present to them.
Choice: Today I will choose life by …