(Monroe)
NINE ELEMENTS
OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
-
Linda
& John Piippo
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!
