Who’s in your corner? How relationships impact your destiny

When we mention the word “relationship,” what comes to mind most times is “romance.” However, relationships are a lot broader than just romance. Human beings were designed to be relational. 

Remember in Genesis 2:18 that God said that it is not good for man to be alone. This means that in His original design, man was meant to have relationships. If this were not the case, each person would have an island to themselves, and the world wouldn’t be this populated.

How do your relationships impact your destiny? The quality of each relationship influences your physical and mental wellbeing. In this post, we will discuss how your relationships impact your destiny.

How do relationships impact your destiny?

As a Christian professional, the kind of company you keep is essential. When you move with the right company, there are several benefits that you enjoy. This brings us to the question, what are the characteristics of a good relationship? We have listed some of them below:

• Purpose-driven.
• Open communication without judgment.
• Respect and trust.
• Both parties should have time for each other consistently.
• Have each other in mind.
• Both parties should be open to healthy change and partake in healthy activities.

If you have a relationship that possesses these characteristics, then it is worth keeping. A good friend should tell you where you are going wrong and put you straight without abuse. There are several examples of relationships that possess these characteristics in the Bible. Some of them include:

• Moses and Joshua (With Moses as the mentor and Joshua the mentee).
• Elijah and Elisha (Similarly, Elijah was the mentor and Elijah the mentee).
• David and Jonathan (Bosom friends despite the disparity in social status).
• Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Captives in a strange land that became friends and men of Nebuchadnezzar’s cabinet).
• Paul and Barnabas (mission partners and friends).

The list goes on and on. When you look at these relationships, each party made a huge contribution to the other’s journey in destiny. One could almost say that without the other party, fulfilling destiny was almost impossible. These are the kinds of relationships we need in our lives. Here’s an important question for you, “who’s in your corner?”

Benefits of a good relationship

Whether your relationships develop around Christian ministry or an online Christian community, there are benefits that you’d enjoy. In this section, we briefly look at some benefits that accrue to your destiny from good relationships.

Goal setting 

Fulfilling destiny is almost impossible without setting goals. One of the benefits of having good relationships is that this venture doesn’t have to be solitary. Why do you need the input of your friends or associates when setting goals?

First, they help you to come up with realistic goals. There is a tendency to overdrive yourself and set unrealistic goals that will drive you to the ground. You may not see this by yourself. However, an external party will and provide caution. 

Secondly, you need to be accountable to someone when you set your goals—not being accountable means that you may decide to achieve the goals or not. That kind of freedom isn’t good for you. Someone must keep you in check and ensure that you are working hard to achieve your set goals.

Feedback

It is very difficult to evaluate yourself without external help. For example, ask yourself this question, “am I a good driver?” You can quickly answer that question because several people have told you that you are or aren’t.

There is a place of self-evaluation and self-reflection. Also, there must be room for external evaluation and feedback. We must not assume that we know everything about ourselves, no matter how honest we think we are. 

Remember when Jesus told Peter that he would betray him before the cock crows thrice? For Peter, he couldn’t do that. How could he, one of Jesus’ most prominent and outspoken friends? Well, he did and was so shocked that he could.

Feedback helps us to stay in line on the destiny path. It works hand-in-hand with goal setting as well. If your friends cannot be open to you, then you may need to change them.

Investment

Every relationship is an investment. It could be of emotions, time, experience, or physical money. The essence is that having relationships will affect your life depending on the kind of investment made.

Every good relationship should be one of “give and take.” You should be investing in the life of your friend just as they are investing in yours. If just one party is investing, then the relationship isn’t balanced, and issues will soon come.

This is where you pause and ask yourself, “What am I investing in my relationships?” You should also figure out what your friends or partners are investing in your relationships. A good relationship shouldn’t be selfish or stingy. If yours is, then you may need to make amends or break it off.

Purpose

We all seek to know why we are here. There is no point living just because we have breath in our nostrils and our hearts are beating. God designed everyone for a purpose, and the relationships around you help you to achieve that purpose.

When you are in a healthy relationship, it gives you a sense of well-being. It also gives you a drive towards achieving your purpose. Here’s a secret that you should know: it adds years to your life when you walk in this direction. 

How to nurture good relationships?

Starting relationships is not the problem; nurturing them is. In this section, we will show you a few things that you can do to nurture the relationships in your life. Check them out below:

• Communication.
• Trust.
• Set boundaries.
• Respect.
• Support.

Conclusion

As you journey towards fulfilling destiny as a Christian professional, be mindful of your relationships. They could make or mar you. Don’t forget to check out GodKulture for articles that will make you a better Christian creative.