5 Important Things All Relationships Need to be Healthy
It takes time to build strong healthy relationships. They don’t happen quickly but grow over time. And how we spend that time is essential.
I’m not talking about where we go and what we do, I’m recognizing the importance of our interactions, attitudes, and behaviors.
Once again, I’ve made a list of some of the things I believe are essential for anyone who wants the blessing of having healthy relationships.
Things All Relationships Need to Be Healthy
Dishonesty in words or actions leads to doubt and when we don’t feel like we can trust those closest to us our relationships become fragile.
“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” ~Stephen Covey
Being kind doesn’t have to include big grand gestures. It can be as simple as a smile, a kind word of encouragement or appreciation … as simple as an attitude.
Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Colossians 3:12
It’s important to say what you mean and mean what you say gently and respectfully. It also takes listening to understand not simply respond.
“Communication is the ability to ensure that people understand not only what you say but also what you mean. It is also the ability to listen to and understand others. Developing both of these aspects of communication takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work.” ~ Dr. Myles Monroe
Forgiving can be hard. The greater the pain, the more difficult it is. But God’s inspired Word doesn’t tell us to forgive one another when it’s easy, it tells us to forgive as God has forgiven us.
Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32
People who want to be treated with respect must be kind and respectful to others. It’s easy to voice our disagreement and displeasure with sarcasm in anger but our relationships will be healthier if we always speak humbly, mercifully, and respectfully.
For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love the family of believers.
1 Peter 2:16–17
I want to enjoy time with my family and friends and I’m guessing you do too. If so, our relationships need to be healthy. That means we need God’s help to accomplish the things listed above. So, let’s pray…
A Prayer for God’s Help
to Have Healthy Relationships
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us and sending Jesus to show us how to love one another. Your love is perfect, unfailing, and everlasting. We fall so far short of the mercy, grace, kindness, respect, and patience that You want for us. Please forgive us and help us.
By the power of Your Spirit, please help me commit to speaking and living the truth to be trustworthy in my relationships. Please make me compassionate, kind, and understanding knowing that I don’t see the depth and details of the life stories that affect the people around me.
Please give me the ability and willingness to listen for understanding more than I listen to respond and win. Please help me remember the immense generosity of forgiveness that You have given me so that I might quickly forgive the people in my life.
And by Your grace, grant me a humble heart to treat everyone with gentleness and respect. I want the kind of relationships You want for me trusting that everyone You bring into my life has a blessing I need to receive or a lesson I need to learn.
Please give me a healthy attitude so that I might have healthy relationships. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
I love this quote from C. S. Lewis…
“Christ, who said to the disciples, ‘You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,’ can truly say to every group of Christian friends, ‘You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.’” — C. S. Lewis
Every person who crosses our path is there for a purpose. If we want to do our part in building healthy relationships we need to be trustworthy and kind listeners who are forgiving and respectful.
May the Lord be with us and give us everything we need to love each other as He desires.
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Such a wonderful reminder of how we can be in lasting and loving relationships with others who come into our life’s orbit. Thanks, Deb!
Thanks, Martha! Have a wonderful day with friends and family. Blessings!
I love and agree with all five, but RESPECT really is a major key and to me, covers all of these. Being respectful of each other in a relationship and also respectful of everyone.
Thank you for this post! As usual, you hit the nail on the head!!
Love hugs!
I agree, Sue. Treating people with kindness is do important. I love it because it not only encourages others but it improves my day as well. Blessings and hugs, dear friend!