Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31-32, NASB)

Good relationships within the Church aren’t automatic. They require effort: compassion, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness. Good relationships in the Church require the same effort as good relationships in the home:

• Remember to think of the other person’s feelings and welfare first, and yourself second.

• Be willing to “go the extra mile” again and again and again.

• Give of yourself freely, without keeping a balance sheet.

• Even in their weakest moments, when they seem the most annoying and unreasonable, even when you are absolutely positive that the blame is entirely theirs, go out of your way to understand them and care about their feelings and see the situation through their eyes.