Father, Son, Holy Sprit : 3 persons, 1 great relationship
What we can learn about friendship from the Trinity
I’ll bet you’ve never thought that the Trinity and your relationships have much to do with each other, right?
You’d be wrong. They’ve got everything to do with each other.
Because God is three persons in one, he relates in certain ways. Because we’re made in God’s image, we’re made to relate to each other in the same kinds of ways.
Here’s what we learn about relationships from the fact that God is Trinity.
Firstly, it’s not good to be alone.
Why? Because God at his very heart is relational. Have you noticed that each person of the Trinity is named in relation to the other? The Father is not a father, unless there is a son. The Son is not a son, unless there is father. Similarly, the Spirit is called both the 'spirit of Jesus' (Phil 1:19), and the 'spirit of God' (Phil 3:3).
Secondly, it’s good to be different and unique.
Why? Because each person of the Trinity is different and unique. The Father is not the Son, who is not the Spirit, who is not the Father. Each one plays a different part and has different characteristics.
Thirdly, loving interdependence is the way to relate.
Why? Because the internal relationship of God is love. The Son is not independent of the Father. The Father is not independent of the Spirit. The Spirit is not independent of the Son. Loving and working together is at the core of God’s very being.
So, if we really believe that God is God, and that we are made in his image, we will think about our relationships differently.
We’ll be thinking about togetherness.
Instead of chasing our own stuff, and using people in order to achieve our own ends, we will be looking to serve God and others. We’ll be considering their needs above our own. We’ll be loving and enjoying other people.
We’ll be thinking about difference.
Have you ever noticed that most people are scared of other people who are different from them? But when we see that each person in the Trinity is unique, we can also see that every person has unique qualities that we can embrace and appreciate, without having to make everyone the same as us.
We’ll be thinking about interdependence.
In other words, what one person does affects another. What one person needs can be supplied by another. What one person is trying to accomplish can be helped along by another. We don’t have to be self-sufficient, independent or a solitary hero. In fact, it’s unchristian to be so!
What about you? Does this change the way you think about your relationships? How much are togetherness, difference and interdependence factors in your friendships?
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