IN HIS FOOTSTEPS: Building Strong Relationships

A Guide to Effective Leadership

Devotion Sixteen: July 16, 2025

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17.

Do you know why people have enemies? It is often because of mutual hatred, stemming from poor relationships. As Amos asked, “Can two walk together unless they agree?” 3:3. Consequently, we can't work together effectively without good relationships.

Building strong relationships is crucial for effective leadership. When leaders build strong relationships, they support each other and work together towards common goals. This is vital, as we are called to unity as children of God. However, building such relationships requires unconditional love and treating everyone with purpose and respect.

Moreover, Jesus demonstrated good relationships with His disciples, tasking them to imitate Him (John 13:15). Many followed Jesus because of His strong love for them, shown through His actions and interactions with the challenged and rejected (Matthew 9:10-13).

Interestingly, we can also learn from the way women often build relationships through shared interests or commonalities, which can lead to strong friendships. As leaders, we need these skills for effective leadership.

As followers of Christ and leaders, reflect on your leadership. How do you prioritise building strong relationships with church members or the community? How do you measure your relationship with your church, family, friends, or the community you lead? The Bible calls us to build strong relationships for effective leadership. By doing so, we will minimise disagreements and achieve our goals.

Do you have any prayer needs in regard to your relationship with the church that you lead? How are you going to redefine building strong relationships in your setting from now on? Remember to demonstrate love and respect for everyone to lead effectively.

Dear God, thank you for reminding me about building strong relationships to lead effectively. Help me where I failed to demonstrate love and respect to others to regain and rebuild the broken relationships that exist between us.

Amen.

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