It seems that everyone is looking for the secrets to life to increase happiness, joy, peace, love or to attain some other positive state of mind. The reality is that we live in a world that is broken and breaking more each day. There are wars, hunger, poverty, injustice, disease and hurting people all around us. People are being born and dying everyday; humanity is in a constant state of change. Yet one thing remains the same, we are all going to die.

The first secret to life is for relationships and it is anchored in love. This secret works in any relationship: marriage, family, friends, professional and so on.

Each person in the relationship needs to love Jesus more than the other person. In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.”. The commandments of Jesus include loving others more than yourself, working to create and maintain peace, treating all people with kindness and showing mutual respect for each other, among many others.

You may be thinking that this sounds great, but what if you are the only person in a relationship that loves and obeys Jesus? Begin by praying faithfully for the other person to exhibit love, peace, joy, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, patience, and self-control. As you are praying for them, ensure that you are living out these qualities, try to be an example. This type of situation is not easy and may take time. If you begin to feel frustrated or disheartened, focus on the fact that you can only control and manage your behavior, it is up to God to work on them. Just keep praying and draw strength from Jesus.

Let’s pray. Father, please be with us as we work to obey Your commandments. Help all of us to love each other and above all to love Your Son, Jesus. It is in His name that we pray, amen.