Written by: Dustin Wilder
 
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8
 
When I was going into college, I remember being so focused on myself and my sport.  Being a talented golfer, I could spend all day long, especially in the summertime, on the golf course working on improving my game.  And, I loved doing that.  You see, golf is considered a team sport in some ways, but, ultimately, it is an individual sport.  I was not too worried about developing relationships with my teammates, coaches, or anyone else for that matter.
 
But, once I got involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, God put some pretty incredible people in my life.  I had a couple mentors in particular that poured into me and really taught me the importance of having relationships with others.  They loved on me with the love of Jesus.  Some things that I learned from my mentors, coaches, and even my fellow athletes at Lipscomb include: relationships present an opportunity to grow spiritually, relationships provide a sense of happiness & fulfillment, and finally, God created us for relationships.
 
When we as individuals can come to realize how much God loves us and has blessed us in our lives, we can start to share those blessings with others.  There is a desperate need in our world and culture today for more love and encouragement; people are struggling with all kinds of things from depression to loneliness and anxiety.  But, when we share how God has worked and is working in our lives with others, that can be very encouraging to someone.  A quote that I love to share is "you may be the only Christian that someone encounters."  So, share the love of Jesus!
 
If there is 1 thing that I can encourage you with  it's to be intentional with developing strong, Christ-centered relationships with the people that God places in your life.