We now focus our balanced living series upon the issue central to our hearts: relationships. In today’s culture of incessant overwhelm, we’re under pressure to work harder and prove our significance. We hear countless tips on how to strive for accomplishments while many of us remain at a loss for how to manage life’s most significant element–relationships. Today’s video explores how to restore balanced living and maintain healthy relationships.
- Recognize WHO is a priority. Never attempt to prioritize temporal WHATs over eternally significant WHOs.
- W – Worship and Work must center on love.
- H – Humility is recognizing your position in Christ before God and among others. Humility is NOT self-deprecation, but appropriate respect for God, self, and others and a service-minded heart.
- O – Offer blessings to empower others, not cripple them. Resist enabling, comparison, and other destructive forms of interaction.
- Set healthy boundaries.
- Be the friend you want to have, to yourself and to others.
- Practice clear communication. Hints, suggestions, and mind-reading expectations set us up for tragic disappointments and disastrous relationship experiences.
- Limit exposure to toxic relationships.
- Optimize your relational well being by surrounding yourself with healthy people. Join groups who serve and demonstrate mutual respect for one another.
- Hearts grow when they give. Be generous with compassion and volunteer.
- Avoid over-scheduling yourself. Leave enough margin to refill your soul’s well with good things to pour into others. A continuous heart-flow in, through, and out will guard you against burn out and the stagnant marshes of self-centeredness.
Which practices seem most helpful for you to restore healthy relationships in your life? I look forward to reading your comments and engaging with you.
Be Encouraged,
Tina