I overheard my second daughter mutter these words; “You are not my friend, I don’t care.” I guess it’s one of the statements from one of her classmates. I quickly cut in; “Learn to accommodate people. Never tell anyone you don’t care. You don’t need to have everyone as your friend, but you need to be friendly.” She got the message.
Friend, one of the secrets of success in life is to build bridges (Proverbs 18:24). Bridges are your connection and passage to your next level. They are the structures you put in place in your journey of destiny to ensure that you are not stranded. For some people, rather than building bridges, they have erected walls (Judges 18:28).
God has created us different (Psalms 139:14). Not everybody will be like you or agree with you. The proof of maturity is to maintain cordial relationship with people even when you disagree on some issues, especially issues that are not matters of rightness or wrongness but just matters of preference (Galatians 2:11-14, 2 Peter 3:15-16).
I normally counsel couples and intending couples that compatible is not about similarities that attract but about differences that complement (Genesis 2:18). You should not marry someone who is exactly like you, else your home will be boring or tensed. God is wise enough to give us who we need, not who we want.
Just as it is in marital relationships, God sovereignly joins us with people who are different from us inorder to complete us (1 Chronicles 19:12). Being able to see, appreciate and celebrate the differences in others is a major skill that you need for destiny. It’s all about perspective.
Not everybody in your past would be needed in your future, but some people in your past would be critical to your future. If you don’t build bridges with them, you would miss the future. Joseph did not need all the inmates in the prison, but one of them would help him become the prime minister (Genesis 41:9-14). How would you know the people that would be relevant in your future? Just build bridges!
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria