Blog based on the Relationships series at Wave Church
In our last blog we looked at how important relationships are to our lives, and how spending time with God and being transparent help us. Now let’s look at ways we can grow our relationships…
Two ways to grow relationships:
Be the first to forgive
Ephesians 4:2-3 NIV
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Unforgiveness is a poison that will slowly kill a relationship. God has so freely forgiven us, why shouldn’t we do the same with the people in our lives? What if God made us jump through hoops to prove ourselves to Him? What if we came to Him and asked for forgiveness and His answer was “No”? Our relationship with God would look much different if this was the case. So why do we sometimes approach the relationships in our lives this way? Why can it be hard to forgive those closest to us? He loves us despite our flaws and mistakes and we should love others the same.
Who in your world are you still harboring unforgiveness towards? Even in small measures, this can prevent your relationship from moving in the right direction. Spend some time in prayer today asking God to help you forgive. Forgiveness may not come overnight, but even a journey around the world begins with a single step.
Be the first to encourage
Proverbs 17:17 NIV
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
In a world where criticism has become the norm, where social media produces keyboard bullies, and where mudslinging is an official event within the presidential debate; a word of encouragement can go a long way. One of the best ways to find this encouragement is through prayer. In your quiet time, God can give you words of encouragement to share with your friends and family. Godly encouragement can change the direction of someone’s life. The right words can give courage, find strength and change a season.
Today, take a moment to pray and ask God to open your eyes to the goodness in the people in your world. Make it a point and tell those people how much they mean to you and the greatness you see in them. When you make this a habit, watch and see what this will do in your relationships!