We saw in my last blog Invisible Walls part1, that Jesus has broken down walls that get in the way of meaningful relationships – with Him and with each other.
Here are a few more thoughts on how to make life flow better with others:
– Make communication regular and responsive. Communication should flow 2-way. If it is all one-sided the one-side will start to slow down and the relationship breaks down. When both parties take the initiative its much healthier. In a working relationship that could be a situation where I sms some information to you and you simply reply to say “thanks I got it”, I may not have the answer to your sms but I respond anyway “I’m not sure yet whether I am free, I’ll come back to you soon.” When communication is 2-way it flows. It reduces the guess work and brings light into the process.
– We talk about the things that are awkward in a relationship. Where something is blocking progress in a relationship sit down and talk about it. No-one really likes confrontation, but without working things through we never grow. Walls grow instead. The golden rule : if its something I simply need to forgive and get over then I do this privately. If its something that is consistently blocking progress in the relationship then talk about it with that person.
– Build that relationship on value not just on purpose. Relationships are strongest when they are going somewhere together. That is we work toward a common cause together. However, we need to also build the relationship in a way that says I value you for who you are not just for what you do. That is I call to say hi, not just to talk business. This requires learning the art of ‘small talk’. Not easy for some, too easy for others! When we show interest in a person as much as the purpose we pull down a wall and build a future.
Hey, see you in Church!