Relationships are important in life, business, ministry, and however you define your existence. Relationships are the vibrant threads that bind our stories together. Just as a gardener takes care of delicate plants, we must take care of our relationships. Just as God entrusts us with His love, we are called to be stewards of the love we share with others. Remember the “Parable of the Unforgiving Servant” found in Matthew 18:21-35. It tells the story of a servant who was forgiven a huge (unpayable) debt, only to refuse forgiveness, mercy, and love to another servant who owed him a small debt.
Every interaction, a seed planted; every caring gesture, a bloom. Stewarding relationships is an intentional act of cultivating a garden of love where everyone can thrive. You must be deliberate about nurturing and investing into relationships with love, compassion and care. Consider the story of any friendship that has survived decades. You will discover that love and care are not just sentiments but investments. True friendship is never a passive connection; it requires intentional acts of kindness, understanding, and forgiveness. Through the seasons of joy and hardship, you learn that the more people in any kind of relationship invest in each other, the richer their bond becomes.
You should think about stewarding relationships as a lifelong commitment, an ongoing investment in the flourishing of those you hold dear. This is great work, and it offers tremendous benefits in the long-term. The CFO asks the CEO, “What happens if we invest in developing our people and they leave us?” The CEO responds, “What happens if we don’t, and they stay? You have a role to play in facilitating the growth of people around you. Following in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus, we must learn to pray and look out for the people in our life.