Faith | Are relationships failing? Here are tips to help you succeed

Relationships are a vital part of life. God never intended for us to do life alone.

Often, people isolate themselves due to past hurts such as betrayal, abuse, divorce, etc. They figure, “no one can hurt me if I distance myself from people.” The problem is that no one can get close enough to help them either.

On more than one occasion I’ve had an opportunity to grow bitter and isolate myself because of painful experiences. I recall a situation about 18 years ago where a close friend of mine went behind my back, said horrible things about me, and created division within my ministry. It was a very challenging situation. However, I decided to forgive him. And by the grace of God, I did not allow that to hinder me from developing relationships with others.

Recognizing that we are better together helps us come out of isolation. The Bible gives us a perfect description of this in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, “⁹Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. ¹⁰ If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

¹¹ Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? ¹² A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

As we can see, you and I are better off having healthy relationships with others, rather than trying to live life alone.

Dr. Carolyn Leaf, a specialist in cognitive and metacognitive neuropsychology, teaches that our risk of death from all causes is decreased when we’re involved in a social group. Likewise, relationships of any kind have been shown to improve our chances of survival by up to 50 percent!

As I’ve shared in times past, I grew up without a father. So, I knew as a young man that for me to succeed in life I was going to have to find male role models that could help me achieve certain goals. I’m where I’m at today because I committed to precisely doing that.

Here are a few tips that can help strengthen your relationships.

▪ Commit to each other.

This requires us to move beyond superficial friendships. Being committed to one another means loving no matter what, being there for each other, and benefiting each other.

▪ Respect each other.

A significant part of showing respect is simply listening and allowing others to share their heart with you. We also demonstrate respect by the way we talk about others when they’re not around. Nothing destroys relationships faster than gossip.

▪ Support each other.

Supporting each other means weeping and rejoicing with one another.

▪ Be patient with each other.

Patience gives people room to grow and change. God is patient with us, so we should extend the same patience towards others.

▪ Be honest with each other.

Honesty strengthens relationships. Honesty deepens relationships. It allows us to be transparent with one another.

I believe if you take these tips and apply them to your life, you will succeed in your relationships.