Thursday; February 2
When you are looking for someone with whom you can develop a partnership, what do you consider? When we are looking to join forces to accomplish a task, we might seek out people who have similar talents. When we are looking for a long-term romantic relationship we might find someone who makes us feel special. When we are starting a business, we might search out someone who has a skill that complements ours. Now, while all these can help us find success, I think there is something else that will help us create successful, lasting partnerships – a shared value system. Common likes and abilities might draw us together, but common values take our relationship to a higher level – and will help us stay together during the inevitable struggles that will follow. While this make good sense when it comes to just about any kind of relationship, Paul warned Christians to be mindful of our basic values when we consider partnerships with those whose values don’t match ours. The apostle wrote,