RELATIONSHIP MATTERS (2)
RELATIONSHIP MATTERS (2)
Did you actually check your cycle of friends after reading this devotional yesterday? What did you find out? Who are they? You must know who you surround yourself with; all of your friends cannot just be accountants (for example), when you need advise everything will look to them like calculation. So in your cycle of friends, you need all categories of people, you need a lawyer’s friend, an accountant, a nurse, a medical doctor, security personnel, pastor among others. You ask, how? Why? Friendship or relationship is NOT all about age, but about substance, the import. You must know why you are in relationship with such a person. It has been said, if the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. Set priority in any relationship and look out for such relationship ahead of time, before you need it.
Human beings have strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Have you heard about SWOT Analysis? So perform SWOT on all your relationship. Do not push people away because of their bad habits, that’s not the right thing to do and this make you to lose opportunity that such relationship can give. Learn how to manage and maintain relationship. Relationship is money and investment too. Before you can profit from any relationship what have you give to such. So when you have performed SWOT Analysis on your friends, celebrate their strengths (each and everyone have one), manage their weaknesses (you don’t have to broadcast the weaknesses of others), and don’t ever present the weaknesses of your friends to anyone; manage it. If you look at your friends, they equally have opportunity; they may not have money but may know somebody who has money, so explore it to your own advantage at the needed time. Finally, never forget the threat of your friends; they can also bite, so do something about it. Prayerfully and skilfully increase the strength and create opportunities for your friends too and do not forget to help reduce their weaknesses by not talking about it to others, except the main person and as for their threat, love conquers.
Joseph the Arimathaea did not show up when Jesus was passing through trials, no one knew him to be a Jesus’ disciple but he showed up when it was matter. Where are the real disciples of Jesus at that time, they were nowhere to be found; Peter that could speak for Jesus’ body had denied Him thrice before cock crows. But Joseph had connection and could speak to and with Kings (perhaps he was not regular in church like others), but imagine if Jesus did not have such in His association, what will happen to His body after death? When it comes to making good and quality relationship, Jesus is our Model. Did Jesus suffer for anything on earth? The answer is NO! He was a friend of the sinners (friends with weaknesses), he dine with them. At the initial stage, Mary Magdalene was a threat, Jesus delivered her from demonic spirit, and such stood for Jesus at the needed time (Matthew 27:61). Jesus invested in relationship before He needed it. If Jesus was not buried in a sepulchre, we will not be talking about Angels rolling away stone from Jesus’ tomb and sit on it. Friend, learn from Jesus. Don’t just discard any relationship; ensure you have tried your best in making such relationship to work before you discard it, even if it’s toxic. Have a graceful day!
Word Affirmation:"Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. " – Isaiah 50:9
“When it comes to making good and quality relationship, Jesus is our Model.”
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