As I picked up my daughter from school that day, she came up with her usual line; “Daddy, I have another party pack!” They usually have someone celebrating their birthday in school every now and then. So, I asked her, “Are you ready to share your own party pack when it’s your birthday?” She became a little sober but got the message.
Friend, beware of parasitic relationships. A one-sided relationship would die a natural death (Luke 14:27). Whether it’s in marriage, the workplace, church, or family, any relationship where one partner keeps giving while the other keeps receiving without giving would soon suffer shipwreck (Galatians 6:6-9).
Despite the fact that God doesn’t need us or our contributions to be God, He has chosen to relate with us on a symbiotic level (James 4:8). This is why our relationship with God is best described as a covenant. You have a part to play for your relationship with God to work.
A parasitic relationship isn’t healthy for both the parasite and the host. When you choose to be a parasite in a relationship, you hinder your own growth and development (Genesis 33:9). When you keep collecting from a ‘rich’ man without giving in return, you’ve only signed up for perpetual poverty.
Our ecosystem is sustained by symbiosis (Genesis 8:22). Any attempt to alter this divine arrangement would bring collapse. Plants give out oxygen for man to breathe in, and man gives out carbon dioxide for plants’ needs. When you view every relationship in your life through the lens of symbiosis, it will thrive.
Always approach relationships with the mindset of giving, not getting (Acts 20:35). When you’re only a taker, you’ve reduced yourself to a parasite, and you can’t fulfil your destiny of greatness (Genesis 14:18-20). Give your presence, love, advice, finance, service, encouragement, sacrifice, and more. That’s how to be truly blessed.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria