“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 NKJV
There was a time when I disliked my younger brother. As the firstborn, I felt he always intentionally put me in trouble. Considering his very energetic personality, he would cause havoc, and I took the blame most of the time. It felt so unfair, and because I couldn’t take out my anger on my parents, I took it out on him because I was more powerful.
At the university, we stayed in the same room off campus. And one day, an insignificant issue broke out into a fistfight. We ruffled and tumbled around the room, and it took a housemate to separate us. I took out all my anger on him, and he did the same.
When my mum heard of our fight, she wept. But every time I look back at that fight, my heart gets filled with gratitude. Why?
It seems God used it to eliminate all the bad blood between both of us. We grew up having some resentment toward each other, and if it didn’t end, the anchor scripture wouldn’t be evident to us.
Today, I love him wholeheartedly, and I am thankful to God for his exploits in life. He has also been a blessing to me in ways that other siblings can only imagine.
Family is God’s design to ensure we don’t grow alone. The devil has succeeded in sowing discord in several families, but don’t let it be yours.
If there’s a sibling or parent you’ve been disconnected from for a long time because of issues you probably can’t fully remember, perhaps this is a call to fix things.
How can we work differently when we have good relationships around us?
Understand that you can’t succeed in your calling by yourself. That’s not God’s design. Every great man or woman in the Bible who stood the test of time had a supportive relationship.
There are parts of what you do that God has placed in the hands of a friend or sibling that you’ve disconnected from. If this is the case, how do you find these missing parts?
God desires that we succeed, and all He wants is for us to ask Him. The resources we need to do exceptional work have been supplied and are just waiting to be used.
Business relationships will only solve a part of the puzzle. If the Bible emphasizes friendship and the power of family, then know that there’s gold in there.
The more intentional I get about pruning and serving my relationships, the more I realize that self-isolation is a lie. There are no self-made millionaires. We support each other to become, through God’s spirit.
“The relationships in my life that I need to fix include…”
Restitution is hard, but important. The timing of restitution is also vital. If you allow God to guide you, He’s good enough to make it happen in His time and in His way.
So, make a list of friends and family members that you’ve cut ties with but wish to care for again. You don’t need to include anyone that you’ve intentionally disconnected from. Every tree needs pruning. Just don’t prune the wrong branches.
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