He sat in an interview that day. After checking through his credentials, one of the panelist asked him, “if you finished from so and so school, then you should know my son. He read the same course, same year as you.” His response; “he’s my friend, we were in the same research team, we still spoke a few days ago.” The interview ended. He got the job!

Friend, relationships are very important to your next level in life and destiny. In the economy of success, relationship is capital. Your network determines your net worth. When God wants to help you, he positions the right people along your path of destiny. And when the devil wants to destroy you, he separates you from critical relationships.

Relationship management skill is perhaps the most important skill you have got to master in life. Ultimately, your success and greatness will not be determined by your gifts or credentials, it would be determined by your relationships. There are talented failures everywhere. There are anointed pastors who are dying in obscurity. There are skillful players who are still being paid peanuts today. The secret is who they know and how they service relationships.

You will be the same person in the next five years except for three things; the books you read, the friends you keep, and the impartation you receive. It is a mark of wisdom to learn to relate well with people. You are just a contact away from your next level of greatness in life and destiny. God has sovereignly positioned around you people that would be critical to your success in life. You are responsible for how you treat them.

Managing relationships demands that you learn to respect people. Don’t look down on anyone. Let respect always go ahead of you and you will never be wrong. The person you are despising today may be your saviour tomorrow; Chief Naaman will teach you better (2 Kings 5:1-14). Don’t be too quick to judge people based on appearance (2 Corinthians 5:16) Treasures are sometimes found in what looks like trash. A wise person learns to uncover the treasure in the trash.

As you go into today, I encourage you to learn to build bridges and not walls; bridges are your passage to the other side of greatness, walls are your obstacles. Don’t wait until you need people before you connect with them and service the relationship. Pay the required prices. Let go of offences (Luke 7:19-23, 17:1). Show yourself friendly if you want to have friends (Proverbs 18:24). Don’t always want to receive, learn to give (Acts 20:35). The relationship tree you don’t water today cannot provide shades and fruits when you need one. You will not be stranded in life! Amen!

© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria