Imprint: Choosing the Way of Heaven in Our Relationships
Your life is meant to reflect God’s presence in every interaction, and that’s exactly what our new series, Imprint, is about. You are being transformed into the image of Christ, and that transformation is meant to overflow into your relationships, your work, your finances—every part of your life.
The Challenge of Transformation
Think about a moment when your frustration or pride got the better of you—maybe a small, silly situation, like a late-night game that didn’t go your way. Even when you’re growing in faith, there are areas of your life where God’s work hasn’t yet fully emerged. Transformation isn’t just what happens in quiet devotion—it’s what comes out in your daily life. No part of you is off-limits to God.
Start With Relationships
Relationships are messy, unpredictable, and ever-changing. What works in one setting might fail in another. But God gives you a principle that transcends circumstance: seek to serve, not to be heard.
Philippians 2:3-5 reminds you:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”
In your interactions—with your spouse, coworkers, neighbors, or even those who wrong you—your focus should be on serving and valuing others above yourself. The world teaches you to defend yourself, seek revenge, or demand to be heard first. But the way of heaven brings unity, healing, and restoration.
Forgiveness: The Key to Freedom
One of the most powerful ways to live this principle is through forgiveness. You might feel justified in retaliating when someone wrongs you, but God calls you to respond as He does—with grace. Romans 12:17-21 instructs you:
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Forgiveness doesn’t erase the pain, but it releases you from the poison of unforgiveness, which Webster defines as a refusal to grant pardon, resulting in bitterness, anger, and resentment.
Unforgiveness is like cancer: it spreads and damages your whole system. Forgiveness, on the other hand, heals. Choosing forgiveness transforms your relationships and can make them stronger than before.
Living Out the Way of Heaven
Every interaction is an opportunity for you to imprint God’s love and grace. When you choose to serve, forgive, and act as Christ would, your life—and your relationships—begin to glisten with hope and mercy. You create unity where there could be division. You bring peace where there could be conflict.
Psalm 46:10 reminds you:
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Your city and your nation don’t need more noise or people shouting—they need more forgiveness. They need people like you who choose the way of heaven. Your homes, workplaces, and communities are waiting for someone who will act as an ambassador of Christ’s love.
Reflection Question:
Take a moment this week to ask God: Is there anyone I need to forgive? Is there a way I can serve rather than seek to be heard?
When you choose the way of heaven, even the hardest relationships can be transformed, and the love of Christ can shine through you in ways that bring hope, healing, and restoration.