Life today is full of ups and downs and as Christians we should strive to building bridges in our relationships and lives and not barriers. What a bridge is – A bridge is a strong structure spanning a barrier that allows passage over an obstacle. It enables you to cross over from one side to another. Some positive qualities for successful bridge in our Christian life, building includes love, warmth, friendliness, co-operation, understanding, forgiveness and a willingness to accept people as they are rather than how we want them to be. Eight Top Tips That Encourages Bridge-building
- Providing Support and encouragement – Build people up, believe in them and be there for them
- Communication:- actively listening and understanding; being receptive
- Involvement – encourage contribution of their suggestions and ideas. Interest – take a ‘genuine’ interest in people – show you care and approve
- Acceptance – accept and value people as they are and not what you want them to be. Belonging – everyone likes to belong. Aim to be warm, friendly and welcoming – make them feel important, wanted – (honesty is essential)
- Building Relationships – not just with people we know, but more importantly with those on the fringe
- Love – The Bible tells us to love one another (John 13:34&35). Often it is hard to love someone who has hurt, misjudged or discriminated against you.
- Value -We are all different. Each one brings a variety of gifts and talents. As Christians, we need to embrace and encourage everyone as being ‘special’.
- Praise -acknowledge people in a “genuine” way – a “well done” goes a long way, Thanks and Reward – A warm ‘thank you,’ will encourage good behaviour and motivate positively.
These are some thoughts to keep in mind as valuable ‘stones’ for strong bridge-building. We can’t build bridges with one another, if we are not right (or at peace) in ourselves. Barriers Barriers on the other hand are an obstacle or person that impedes free movement. The negative qualities we sometimes choose to adopt and live by are unfavourable, and could be discouraging or even destructive. If these qualities gain prominence, they will result in loss of understanding, forgiveness and peace. Some of the barriers we erect prevent others from getting involved, and may exclude them from belonging to a group or organization.
- Intolerance is a barrier, Cliques (i.e. forming closed groups). Assuming a stance of being ‘elite or superior’
- Hunger for Power and Control for selfish purposes, Domineering, Negative criticism, Being judgmental
- Backbiting and abrasiveness, Pride and being haughty
- Discrimination, prejudice and Racism We should take action, deal with and consciously work towards eliminating these barriers as they are not helpful in our Christian walk.
The Christian Example – A good example of a lasting bridge is: Jesus the Bridge between death and life and between condemnation and acceptance. He made crossing over possible by dying on a cross; by loving and forgiving those who hated and rejected Him. For us Christian’s to live ‘positive and victorious’ lives, we must follow Jesus’s example and remove the barriers in our lives that hinder, limit and restrict us and build bridges of forgiveness love and peace. Jesus the Bridge between death and life and between condemnation and acceptance. He made crossing over possible by dying on a cross; by loving and forgiving those who hated and rejected Him. For us to live ‘positive and victorious’ lives, we must follow Jesus’s example and remove the barriers in our lives that hinder, limit and restrict us and build bridges of forgiveness love and peace in our Christian walk.