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Managing Your Relationships

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relationships are not about taking control; they are about commitment.

 

Managing Your Relationships

Proverbs 18:1

An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment. NIV

 

Most of life’s joy and pain is the result of our relationships.

 

On February 14, 259 AD, Valentine became one of thousands martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Your relationships are not about control it's about commitment.

 

Commitments to strengthen the bonds you have with others.

 

I. Managing Your Relationships Begins With A Commitment To Loyalty.

 

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  Proverbs 18:24 NIV

 

There's a difference between knowing a person on a surface level and having a valued relationship.

 

People are imperfect and will make mistakes, sometimes huge ones.

 

A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. Job 6:14 NIV

 

The love story of Hosea and his wife Gomer prove that you don't have to condone what others do to be their committed friend.

 

II. Managing Your Relationships Recognizes the Need of Your Commitment to Listen

 

One of the greatest gifts you can give is the gift of listening to what others have to say.

 

"Many people do not listen with the intent to understand. They listen with the intent to reply." Stephen Covey

 

He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his shame" Proverbs 18:13 NIV

 

Be quick to listen and slow to speak" James 1:19 NIV

 

There is nothing manipulative about listening.

 

III. Managing Your Relationship Calls for a Commitment To Love 

 

Society equates love with emotions not actions. Love is a stronger commitment than any feelings.

 

Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres 1 Cor.13:8–13 NIV.

 

Conclusion: As you manage the relationships in your life, commit to loyalty, commit to listening, and commit to love, and you will be the best friend these people ever had.