Nehemiah 9:17
“And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.”
Relationships are one of the enjoyable things about life. Each one is different. Each one has its own challenges and rewards. They are truly one of the great gifts that God gave us in life. Yet, they can also be very trying and at some times miserable. Making relationships work will take hard work.
God showed us how to make relationships work in His relationship with Israel. Israel was at times obstinate and hard to get along with, yet He found a way to make their relationship work. The verse above shows us what is needed to make relationships work.
First, you must be ready to pardon. Pardon is a powerful word because it means that you must be ready to give absolute clemency from a wrong. In other words, there are going to be times in relationships when you are going to have to cancel the wrong that someone has done. You will never be able to make relationships work unless you have it in you to pardon people when they do you wrong.
Second, you must be gracious and merciful. Grace and mercy are akin to each other. Grace is getting something that we don’t deserve while mercy is not getting what we do deserve. Every relationship must be filled with grace and mercy. There are times when you are going to have to be decent to someone who has done you wrong, and there are other times when you will have the power to hurt someone when they’ve wronged you, but you must not do it. Mercy will keep you from hurting someone when you have the dirt on them that nobody knows, and grace will talk of their benefits when you know their weaknesses.
Third, you must be slow to anger. It is sad that the ones we get the angriest with are those with whom we are the closest. It is easy to become angry with those in relationships because you are regularly rubbing shoulders with them. Anytime you are rubbing shoulders with someone there will be friction. If you want your relationships to work, then you are going to have to slow your anger down.
Fourth, relationships will only work if you show great kindness to others. Kindness is showing concern and being helpful and considerate to one when they are in need. You must go overboard on kindness if you want your relationships to work. Without great kindness, anger will become your mantra.
Finally, relationships will only work if you choose not to forsake others. Be a friend to those with whom you have a relationship. Decide now that no matter what they do, you will never forsake them. That is what God did for us, and that determination is what makes relationships work.
Good relationships are filled with these five elements. Many times we will look at good relationships and think they never have difficulties, but in reality they simply apply these five elements to make them work. Add these five elements to every relationship you have and you will find that your relationships will work.
Allen Domelle is the editor of the Old Paths Journal which is more than just a Christian’s publication. It is an excellent place to learn how today’s headlines will forge tomorrow’s laws and statutes. Keep yourself in tune with what is happening around the world, as well as in your own backyard with our daily updates and devotionals.