Relationships

Blog Entries

Christ’s Relevance to ABC Gen Z

Every day I pray for God to give me wisdom to eliminate any barriers between my daughter and me. I pray for ways to be able to speak to her and for her to have an open heart. I found that like me, there are many other Chinese Christian parents that share the same struggles.

Blog Entries

Reconciling a Church Split

Regrettably, if you have been a Christian for a while, you most likely have either heard of a church split or experienced one. While many church splits do not have a happy ending relationally, I know of at least one that does…

Blog Entries

Working Our “Initiate Conversation” Muscle

As long as our motivation comes from a godly desire for peace and reconciliation, seeking clarity in relationships is worth the effort. Someone has to take the first step to initiate conversation. For those seeking to reflect God’s face in relationships, let’s be the ones doing the initiating.

Blog Entries

Transformative Relationships

Self-Control, Prayer, and Reflection

God calls us to exercise self-control and listen well. And while challenging to live out, relating to others in this way is not impossible! Many of those I interviewed in China… described this spiritual fruit growing in their lives and the difference it made relationally.

Blog Entries

Bearing With: Recognizing and Accepting Differences

We are all members of the body of Christ. And while there are appropriate times to leave a particular ministry or church to find another, when the reason for leaving is related to conflict triggered by differences, please pause, and first consider taking biblical peacemaking steps.

Blog Entries

Love In Action

Thankfully, God loves us with actions and in truth whether we are at odds with him or not. Investing in a relationship with someone we are at odds with, assuming it is not an abusive relationship, can reflect that same type of love and have significant impact.

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Gospel Power at Work in the Heart

Gaining a true view of ourselves from God is humbling and freeing and can spur us on to apologize for our contributions to conflict.

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The Benefits of Giving Face

Wu Chunhua described it in this way: “If you give a person face, that person will slowly relax and won’t be as confrontational and resistant in the relationship. The conflict will ease up. It won’t continue to get bigger.”

Blog Entries

When a Gift Is Not Enough

When it comes to receiving an apology, we often want to hear a verbal apology. Yet, how often do we personally avoid giving a verbal apology when we have messed up?

Blog Entries

Barriers to Apologizing, Part 2

Li Qiang said, “Chinese culture has moralized everything. Someone who makes a mistake is seen as flawed, deficient, and having shortcomings. A person who has not made mistakes is morally higher.”