We have been looking at how we relate to one another. We talked about a few topics on my heart that focus on the relationships we develop. Let’s take a moment this week and see how we relate. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
First we looked at the challenge of the life we live and being too busy to focus on what is truly important. We need to make a time for resting and recharging our batteries. Spending time with family and friends is important. Breaking the routine and making an effort to develop those close relationships will lead us through life.
Psalm 23; 1-3, NLT, The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
We then moved on to talking about recognizing the efforts of other on our behalf. We need to realize that so many people have a part in our day to day life, the freedoms we enjoy, the racing we pursue. We are encouraged to acknowledge their efforts, appreciate the sacrifice, respect the price they paid and understand the significance their efforts have in each of our lives.
1 Thessalonians 1:2; We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers.
From there we looked at Chemistry, the way personalities and talents are molded together to achieve more than we can on our own. A race team without chemistry will not succeed. There are many teams that have talented individuals but do not succeed. They don’t fit together. We have to recognize the strengths and weakness of each individual and work toward building a cohesive team. Understanding our differences goes a long way at building the right chemistry.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13, NLT, The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
We took time to look at the relationship between parents and children realizing that we know what we know because of what we learned from them. Good or bad our parents have significant input into the people we become and our ability to relate to one another. Our Father in Heaven also has some degree of influence, whether we acknowledge it or not.
Psalm 139:1-3, NLT, O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
So, as you can see, we have touched on a few points about how we relate to one another. How does this affect us each individually? We are the sun of many parts. Racing is just a snapshot of life. We need to relate within the racing community much like we relate in our life away from the track. For some of us racing is our life and we are very comfortable within that community.
I was thinking the other day about the racing community, how close knit it is and the threads that tie us all together. We all know that some people don’t quite understand the attraction. They don’t quite get the draw. I have tried to figure out what the glue is that holds this all together. I can go to any track, anywhere and have a common understanding with the people there. Doesn’t matter what type of racing, racers are racers. I have some degree of comfort there.
I think that is the key, when we can say, “These are my people”. There is some common ground in racing. I think it is built in us to race from the beginning. I can’t explain why but I still try to beat my last time when I travel someplace. It could be by only a minute but for some reason I am watching the clock, counting the miles and calculating if I can beat my last time.
For whatever reason we are wired to seek out people to gather with. We do not want to be alone. The greater the challenge the more our desire to travel down that road together. There isn’t one of us that can make it through this life alone. That isn’t the way we were created. When God created man he observed his activity and determined it wasn’t good for man to be alone. God then created a companion for man.
When we look at the topic of relationships and relating to one another we need to realize there is a place for everyone. We are unique, no two the same. Our differences can become a blessing if we embrace seeing things through a different view point. However they can become divisive if we stick our head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge the differences.
I liken it to watching a race. Think about how many different kinds of racing exist in the world? I enjoy watching certain types of races. Why? I don’t know, just a preference I guess. That doesn’t mean everyone who likes watching other kinds of racing is wrong. I can appreciate different forms of racing but I do have a preference.
How we relate in life is much the same. There are as many different ways to live life as there are people on Earth. We can accept that or be frustrated that they all don’t live the way we think is best. We must commit to meeting people where they are, walk alongside one another, and hold each other up. This life can beat us down, having someone to reach out to will make all the difference. We can be that someone. How we treat others reveals what is in our hearts.
Mathew 25:40, 45, NLT, “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.
