Love Never Fails

One of the marks of awesome relationships is that you help each other grow. There are two methods that help people grow and two that don’t.  Here’s how you help each other: Grow through example.  Jesus did this in teaching his disciples. John 13:14-15 says,  “Since I . . . have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you”  (NLT). People don’t want to hear a sermon. They want to see an example of Jesus in your life. Grow through conversations.  In order to grow in relationships, you should have critical conversations about real issues. Dedicate time to having conversations around the things that really matter in life.  Two ways that  don’t  help people:  Criticism won’t help someone grow.  Nagging doesn’t work. Condemning doesn’t work. Criticizing and complaining are totally ineffective in helping a person grow. Why? Because when you criticize, you’re ...

If you want to have healthy relationships, then start with an attitude of gratitude. You will be far happier and enjoy your relationships more if you develop the habit of being grateful for the people in your life.  Paul says in Philippians 1:3,  “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God”  (NLT). This simple truth is the foundation of good relationships.  When you think of the people in your life, is your first feeling gratitude? Or is it, “What do they need to do for me? What problems do we need to resolve? What do we need to get done?” Paul showed us a different way. His first thought for his friends was one of gratitude, and it is the model to follow if we want relationships that last. Here’s the challenge: The longer you know someone, the more likely you take that person for granted. The longer you know someone, the easier it is to focus on that person’s faults and the bad times instead of the happy times.  That’s why it takes effort...