How would like 5 tips to improving your relationship with others?

The Bible says a lot about our relationships with others. Especially those deeper relationships with our spouses, kids, parents, and friends. Those closest to us. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says:

⁹ Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. ¹⁰ If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

We know we are well off to have these valuable people in our lives. What we build into our relationships affects what we get out of our relationships. The grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence, it's greener where you spend time watering. Valued relationships take work.

If you want to build on those valuable relationships, these 5 building blocks can help;

1) You need to build on interest.
         This is paying attention to and giving interest to one another. A good relationship means understanding what's important to the other person. How do we build on interest? Ask questions. Asking questions shows genuine interest. On top of asking questions, we also need to be sure we are listening. We give other people our interest when we are listening. Check out James 1:19 sometime.

2) You need to build on acceptance.
         We're all different. God created us that way. Romans 15:7 tells us to accept one another. No ifs, ands, or buts. Doesn't mean you agree with everything that they do, but we are called to accept them. That's unconditional love. We need to learn to promote our differences. Yes, God made us different, but therein lies our strength! We also need to learn to forgive. Not forgiving someone can leaved you hooked to that offense and never truly at peace.

3) You need to build on experiences.
         Both positive and negative. Both can make a relationship rich. Bring laughter into a relationship, but also bring comfort when there is pain.

4) You need to build on honor.
         If you don't have honor in a relationship, you might as well cast it aside. If you honor somebody, you respect them. You also must learn to cherish them.

5) You need to build on faith.
         We need to bring Jesus into our relationships. Romans 1:11-12 is what Christian relationships is all about. We need to be Christ with others and share Him at every opportunity. And when necessary, use words.

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