The Gift of Relationships: Created in God’s Image for Connection

If you’ve spent any time with me, you’ve likely heard me say: “One of God’s greatest gifts is the gift of relationships—first with Himself, through Jesus Christ, and then with one another.”

I wholeheartedly believe this. Relationships aren’t an accident of human design; they are woven into the very fabric of creation. Let’s look at why relationships matter so deeply and how we can embrace this gift today.

I love the creation account in Genesis. It’s full of beautiful truths about who God is, what He has done, and what He promises to do.

Genesis 1:26 is one of my favorite verses:


Here we see the first mention of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—“Let us… our image.” The Triune God, eternal and almighty, created humanity in His image.

Think about that for a moment: You. Me. Every single person we meet—from the friendly greeter at the store to the door-to-door salesman who ignores the No Soliciting sign—we are all image-bearers of God.

Why does this matter? Because the more we understand God’s image—His nature—the more we can understand ourselves and how we relate to one another.

In Genesis 2, we see God declare that it is not good for man to be alone. Out of His relational nature, He created Eve to walk with Adam. From the very beginning, God designed us to live in relationship.

Even when sin entered the world, God did not abandon His creation. He walked in the garden, pursuing Adam and Eve after their fall. Though sin brought separation—death, mourning, pain, and brokenness—God’s desire for relationship remained.

And He made a promise: a Savior who would crush sin, death, and the devil. That Savior is Jesus.

The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus restored us into a right relationship with God. Through faith in Him, we are no longer enemies but beloved children of God. This shows us just how central relationships are to God’s heart.

Yes, we live in a broken world, but God still shows up. He gives us glimpses of His kingdom through the relationships we share with one another—a foretaste of heaven itself.

Relationships aren’t just a side benefit of life; they are God’s greatest gift. In them, we see His image reflected and His love made real. Through Jesus, we are drawn into relationship with God and invited to share that gift with one another. And in doing so, we experience a glimpse of the eternal community of heaven that awaits us.


That’s also why we’re so excited about the Serving Challenge at Christ Greenfield! Serving together is one of the best ways to build meaningful relationships, grow in faith, and reflect Jesus’ love to the world. If you haven’t joined in yet, this is a great time to jump in—you’ll discover that we really are better together.


Amen.