The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:7-8

Have you noticed that there are two great themes that run through every biblical teaching about the Christian life?  Relationship with God, and relationship with each other.

Peter brings this out in these 2 verses, first telling us to be clear-minded and self-controlled so that we can pray, and this speaks to our relationship with God.  If we are running around out of control, unfocused and all amok, how can we pray? If we don’t spend time with God in prayer, how can there be a relationship?

The next verse refers to our relationships with one another: How can there be relationship if we do not love?  Of course the love Peter refers to is not the romantic sort, but the godly love that puts others first.  When we put others first, serving selflessly, there can be relationships.  On the contrary, if we are running around taking everything we can get, running over others, then what kind of relationships will we have?  Certainly not godly ones!

The Christian life is all about relationships; the only question left to consider is, are we all about relationships?