Introduction
Aahhhhh, relationships...you can't live with 'em and you can't live without 'em!
We are relational beings and every role that we fulfill, whether at home, work, school, church or society is vitally connected to other people. (Isn't that the pits?) But seriously, doesn't the quality of your life depend completely on the quality of the relationships that you cultivate every day? If we are off in even one of the above spheres (let alone a few of them), then we are left to trudge through our daily existence without much joy, depth or satisfaction.
A neglected investment
It is interesting to note that we can spend time and money to improve virtually every aspect of our life. Whether it is a gym membership, a pair of new glasses, a nicer car, our kids' piano lessons, a new wardrobe, dinner and a movie, or what have you. We are often even willing to sacrifice to procure these things.
And yet, in this area of relationships, the part of our being that is so crucial and so central to our existence, we find it easy to skimp, and we don't invest the time (or the money) that these personal connections deserve. A lot of times, we let them run on auto-pilot, and little grievances with our spouse, partner, parent or co-worker seem to grow into these walls of indifference, or bitterness, or resentment that simply rob us of so much valuable energy and fulfillment.
Matthew 18 Community
I coined the phrase Matthew 18 Community as a way to describe a core set of relational principles found in the 18th chapter of Matthew's gospel. It is my desire that these ideals would be embodied in every one of the critical spheres of our lives that touch other people. Thus, if you put these principles into practice, you automatically become part of the Matthew 18 Community.
If you want, you can go and read the chapter now to get a sense for the ideas. Over the next several weeks we'll be diving into many great topics including:
- How humility can transform your relationships
- Are you a relational stumbling block?
- The nature of conflict
- Confronting conflict head-on
- Reconciliation in relationships
- The power of forgiveness to heal you
And much more! I do hope you can make a commitment to become an integral part of the Matthew 18 Community. Look for more updates in the coming weeks!
Til next week...
Our next post will be on a very misunderstood topic, "Humility" and on how it can absolutely transform all of your relationships.
I look forward to speaking with you again soon!