TOP 10 GUIDELINES FOR CULTIVATING ANY RELATIONSHIP.

COMMENT ON THE ONE YOU CAN RELATE WITH THE MOST.

1. GIVE TOP PRIORITY TO FRIENDSHIP RELATIONSHIP [Ref Proverbs 18:24, John 15:15]

Be high enough to inspire others to get where you are, be low enough to relate with them. Even Jesus chose to relate and be identified with his disciples as friends.

2. DARE TO TALK FREELY. [Ref 1 Samuel 20:17]

There is a sense of slavery, not to speak one's thought in any relationship. Apart from you exercising this freedom, let others also enjoy the right to freely express themselves before you - without fear.

3. DEVELOP TRANSPARENCY. HONESTY PROMOTES FRIENDSHIP [Ref 1 Samuel 18:1]

Lies create more lies, proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear.
“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters” ― Albert Einstein

4. LEARN THE LOVE GESTURES [Ref John 12:3]

Don’t just talk a good game, express it, live it.
Love is made up of 3 unconditional properties in equal measure:
1. Acceptance
2. Understanding
3. Appreciation.
Remove any one of the three and the triangle falls apart.

5. DON’T LET NEGATIVE THOUGHTS & RUMORS CONTROL YOUR LIFE [Ref Heb 12:15, Philippians 2:14]

Save your skin from the corrosive acids from the mouths of toxic people. Someone who just helped you to speak evil about another person can later help another person to speak evil about you.

6. USE YOUR BODY TO DEMONSTRATE WARMTH (AFFECTION) AND KINDNESS [Ref Luke 18:15]

There is time to hug, time to hold hands and there is time to kneel.
Never underestimate the power of affection or the comfort of a simple hug.

7. SCHEDULE A TIME FOR CONVERSATION AND LECTURE [Ref Mark 6:31-32]

What more can I say about this, its self explanatory; you can just never be too busy for this.

8. LEARN TO LISTEN [Ref James 1:19, Deuteronomy 24:5]

There's a lot of difference between listening and hearing. Don’t be short on ears and long on mouth. An appreciative listener is always stimulating.

9. BE LIBERAL WITH PRAISE & CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES [Ref Ephesians 4:29]

Develop a character of uplifting people with your words. Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others.

10. ALLOW PEOPLE TO MAKE MISTAKES AND BE READY TO FORGIVE. [Ref Proverbs 17:17; Ecclesiastics 4:9-10]

When you stop expecting people to be perfect in your own definition, you can like them for who they are. Most times we place our expectations too high on people that when they fail (us) we find it hard to forgive