Saturday, August 15, 2020

NINE ELEMENTS OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

 

 

                                                             (Monroe)

NINE ELEMENTS OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

-       Linda & John Piippo

(Linda and I preached this on Sunday morning, Aug. 16, 2020.) 

What we have learned about relationships. Surely there’s more to say.

This is for all relationships - family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, teams, and marriages.

 

9 Components of Healthy Relationships

1.    Love one another. With unconditional, agape love. (No “If-then” love).

 

2.    Understanding each other. Get a PhD in the other person. Don’t judge or evaluate without understanding. To understand is to love; to be understood is to feel loved.

 

3.    Submit to one another (this is life in the Kingdom of God)

           with boundaries. (Ephesians 5:21 - Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.)      

4.    Share core values. Have the highest values in common.

 

5.    Address anything that creates a barrier to relationship.

 

o   Don’t let the sun…

o   Nothing is too insignificant here…

 

6.    Be responsible for your own behaviors and attitudes. Don’t live like a victim.

 

7.    Keep your problems between yourselves. Don’t talk to others about the other person. Unless you’re sharing with someone who can guide you in repairing the relationship.

 

8.    Confess and forgive. If you hurt someone, confess (specifically) to them. If your friend confesses to you, forgive them.

 

9.    In all things, speak the truth in love. EPHESIANS 4:15 - Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

 

o   Feel anger, but don’t sin and respond by hurting back. Deal with your anger by caring and confronting.

 

 

Linda wrote these thoughts about how we have learned to do life together.

·      We choose to love.

·      We share almost everything.

·      We serve one another and look for ways to do that.

·      We pray.

·      We talk about hard things.

·      We read

o   Together

o   Alone

o   And share what we read with one another

·      We talk about hard Bible verses and difficult theological issues.

·      We share insights with others that we have learned ourselves.

·      We tolerate our weaknesses, but don’t let them hurt us.

·      We quickly forgive.

·      We welcome new experiences.

·      We love doing much together.

·      We hold each other accountable to our words and our spiritual lives.

 

EPHESIANS 4:15 - Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

HOW TO DO THIS!