Building Relationships in the New Year by Rev. James Wong

Happy Chinese New Year to all of you.

The New Year reminds us of shopping, celebration, and most importantly, the reunion dinner. Let us put some thoughts on building relationships. As you can recall, sharing the Good News begins with friendship. Remember to use the Book Mark 2010 for this purpose. Let us trust God for spiritual victory and breakthrough this year. This week, let us look at some of the common ways we can build relationships.

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). To win others for Jesus Christ we need to be wise and skillful. “To win” means to accept and to draw others to you. It simply means to build relationships. Sharing the Good News is always relational. To win others for Christ, we must learn the skill of building relationships. Here are a few biblical keys:

1. Serve others.
Remember how Jesus summarized his life? He said: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus came to serve and to give. He was known as “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matt. 11:19). Many people were attracted to Jesus because he served them sincerely. He was their friend and he was approachable.

2. Give to others.
People are touched by people who are generous. Jesus touched so many people because he gave his life for them. “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men” (Prov. 18:16). If you are generous to people, peoples’ hearts will be opened to you. If you are stingy, your friends will avoid you. Live a life of a giver.

3. Be interested in others.
Do not just talk about yourself; your view, your experiences, your hobbies or your preferences. “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4). Make everyone you meet feel important. When you are interested in others, you make it easy for people to connect with you.

4. Encourage others.
Don’t pour cold water!. “Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24, NLT). Encouragement inspires courage which transforms ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results in their lives.

5. Smile to others.
Smile speaks of friendship. “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health” (Prov. 15:30, NLT). People are attracted to friendly people.