Authentic relationship with others is the result of authentic relationship with God.

We are now living in the age of the pseudo-Christian. Many have taken on a “form of godliness, but deny its power.” To attend a meeting once (maybe more) per week is plenty enough in our society to call yourself a good Christian. However, it is not enough to call what you have authentic. Our ability to be, as Rich Mullins stated, “comfortable in our own skin” is one of the greatest indicators of our authenticity with God. Do you know who you are in Christ Jesus? Are your relationships “real”? If your relationship with God is “real”, then chances are the other relationships in your life are as well.
Notice the order. First is our relationship with God, and then comes our relationship with others. So many times we get this order reversed and it always leads to trouble. How I have seen this time and time again as a Youth Pastor. The parents are more concerned with the relationship with their children, than their relationship with God. It is ironic, because the God connection will inevitably improve the child connection, yet parents too often focus primarily on the latter. Of course, the relationships we have with our family and friends are important, they are all based around how we view ourselves in Christ Jesus. This view comes from a real relationship with Him.
Just like any other relationship we have in our life, the depth of our relationship with God will be determined by the amount of time and effort we invest in getting to know the other person. That is why the bible says plainly in James 4:8, “Come near to God and He will come near to you…” If we will invest time and effort into our relationship with God, then He will grow us closer to Himself. Once this happens, then we see clearly that the most important things in life are our relationships, and we re-invest in others what God has invested in us. It is simply unavoidable. The more we get to know God, the more we see others with His eyes and not our own. Once we have God’s perspective on the people He has placed around us, we begin to be Christ body (the Church) to them. We lay our lives down with His and in doing so, we become closer to Christ as He raises us up. This is the process of authentic relationship with God called, Discipleship. This discipleship cannot be hidden from those around us. It will always show itself in authentic relationship with others. Therefore, authentic relationship with others is the result of authentic relationship with God.