Building Solid Relationships
Every so often I meet a people who tell me that they can't talk to their spouses about certain things. They just avoid those subjects so they won't get upset with each other. That is a tragedy to me. I really believe to build solid relationships we have to talk about the hard things of life like our feelings, our values, and our fears. Of course, we need to talk about our beliefs and our commitments, too. If we can't communicate on a deeper level, we can't really have an strong relationship.
Having said that I realize the dangers of sharing with our spouses and our friends in a very frank way about these meaningful things in our lives. There is a great opportunity for being misunderstood and hurt by something that is said. However, we must not shy away from that type of communication or we will sacrifice our relationships. The Bible says, "How can two walk together unless they be agreed." I might add, "How can two agree without working out differences and coming to understand each other and the truth." It is impossible.
I feel that is why we have so many shallow relationships in our families and in our churches. We must be willing to take the risk and really get to know each other. We must not hesitate to love enough to work out hard feelings and grow together. That is the only way to lasting, solid relationships. It always makes me feel good when someone cares enough about me to tell me that they have a problem with something I said or did. That way I can assure them that I did not mean to insult them or offend them. We can work it out, and we will be better friends than ever.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 14-15 and Matthew 17.
Having said that I realize the dangers of sharing with our spouses and our friends in a very frank way about these meaningful things in our lives. There is a great opportunity for being misunderstood and hurt by something that is said. However, we must not shy away from that type of communication or we will sacrifice our relationships. The Bible says, "How can two walk together unless they be agreed." I might add, "How can two agree without working out differences and coming to understand each other and the truth." It is impossible.
I feel that is why we have so many shallow relationships in our families and in our churches. We must be willing to take the risk and really get to know each other. We must not hesitate to love enough to work out hard feelings and grow together. That is the only way to lasting, solid relationships. It always makes me feel good when someone cares enough about me to tell me that they have a problem with something I said or did. That way I can assure them that I did not mean to insult them or offend them. We can work it out, and we will be better friends than ever.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 14-15 and Matthew 17.