As we go through this journey of growing in soul health, we must acknowledge that one of the direct impacts to our soul is the company we keep. When we look to God, his word shows us that we were created to be in relationship with one another. The wrong relationships can slowly cause disintegration of our souls, but surrounding yourself with real faith relationships and community realigns your spirit and builds you up. Bad company corrupts good character, but good company will set you straight. You may be welcomed to the table of gossip, judgment, or contempt, but you don't have to sit down. Jesus puts people around us, and is always inviting us to form genuine faith-filled relationships.  

You cannot deny that the relationships around you have a profound impact on the way you think, feel , and move.

1. Real Prayers and Real Faith

God has given you an imagination to envision Him performing miracles. That is why interceding in prayer for others is one of the greatest privileges we have as followers of Christ. Real prayers always begin with real faith. As we steward healthy relationships and surround ourselves with faith-filled people who speak truth and life, our souls begin to realign to the Holy Spirit.

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1: 1-2

2. Real Forgiveness

Our souls were bought at a price and when we embrace the forgiveness of God, we are able to give freely what was freely given to us. And when our soul is devoted to God, He gives us the strength to do things that we couldn’t imagine. That is why real forgiveness is not done by our own might, but it comes from the power of the Holy Spirit that is working through us.

“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬

Relationships serve as yet another means to align ourselves with God’s promise and path for our life. In cultivating relationships with individuals and communities through faith and prayer, we remember that the only one who can fulfill us completely is the Lord.

We have the freedom to embrace God’s forgiveness for us, and reflect that love from our Father to likewise forgive others. God graciously forgives us, and calls us to exercise that same spirit of forgiveness not only with others but also toward ourselves.