Everything Rises and Falls On Leadership – Or Does It?

I have long heard it said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”  That’s one of those statements I have always believed . . . that is until my wife challenged my thinking recently.  Upon return from a trip she made to France she mentioned that she heard one of the people say, “Everything rises and falls on relationship.”
 
I initially translated that comment in the context of outreach to Muslims and agreed that certainly relationships are important.  But might there me more to that statement:  Everything rises and falls on relationship?
 
That led me to think about the Greatest Commandment – the one about loving God.  It also made me think about the Second Greatest Commandment – the one to love people.  If those are the greatest responsibilities we have in terms of obedience, than everything must rise and fall on relationship.

Lately as I’ve considered how humanism has crept into my thinking I’ve realized that at the end of the day my flesh wants to rule.  I want to think it all depends on me.  God didn’t design the universe to function that way.  He wants us to depend on Him – to know Him and for our lives to flow from Him.