VALUING PEOPLE AND RELATIONSHIPS

Communicating with people in this day and age is easy, at least on a technological and electronic format. What appears to be more difficult is the ability to feel connected on a personal level.

The longer I study relationships and people, the more I realize "the depth and value of a relationship is in part dependent on acceptance". We sometimes put more emphasis on who or what makes us happy, "in the moment” rather than realizing that it is long-term commitments and acceptance of people (relationships) and things that brings us the most joy, "sustained happiness", over time.

Sure, new is always fun, it’s shiny, it’s exciting, it’s adventurous. New is not forever. Forever takes time but the value of (joy) “forever” far exceeds (happiness) “in the moment”.

An investment in people and relationships requires: commitment, acceptance and ultimately unconditional love. Relationship investments relate to and impact how connected we feel with others and life itself. In the next three weeks we will discuss how and why.

The commitment we make to the people and relationships we are blessed to have in our life is sustaining. Relationships (i.e. experiences, mistakes and successes) help teach us more about how we relate to and work with others. Previous relationships impact personal growth and influence our understanding of what relationship value and commitment means. We remain in a relationship as we further commit to one another and the relationship itself.

Acceptance of one another takes time and grace, but also helps maintain relationships. Over the years I have had multiple opportunities to be someone who looks for people’s worth from a long-term viewpoint. Understanding the value of people starts with looking for good we may not currently see, and choosing to see someone’s value over a lifetime, rather than judging them for their choices in the moment. No person, relationship, or life we live is ever perfect. To expect one another to be perfect sets people and relationships up for failure.

The book I recently wrote, Love Forever, discusses Agape Love. Agape love is a type of love that is unconditional and transcends all of life’s circumstances, it also relates to the longevity of relationships. Agape love is a type of love that takes a lifetime; to completely learn about, to sacrificially give toward others, and to fully understand "the impact". Unconditional love given in the form of the concepts taught in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is a great starting point to help us understand how we build, value, and maintain relationships for a lifetime.

Join me in the next three weeks as we look at how commitment, acceptance, and love relate to valuing people and relationships better.