The DIY Guide To Building A Family That Lasts - A 6-Day DevotionalSample

Home Improvement Goal:

Decrease disrespect.

Home Improvement Tool:

Increase gratitude.

The wear and tear of disrespecting our loved one does great damage over time in our relationships. To protect and improve these relationships, we need to care for and appreciate our loved ones like we care for and appreciate new floors. With this in mind, I invite you to add the home improvement tool of gratitude to your toolbox.

Why gratitude?

You already know the positive potential for gratitude if you had the good fortune of growing up in an encouraging, supportive family. Your family was grateful for you, and you, in turn, were grateful for them. Because of that foundation, now as a married person and/or parent, you likely naturally want to convey and encourage a similar gratitude in your own home life.

If you didn’t grow up in a family that valued you, you likely longed then and may still long now to be cared for and appreciated. You missed out on an important foundation for positive relationships, but you desire home improvement, so you hope and work to create positive relationships with your spouse and children. Gratitude is a hallmark of positive relationships.

You may be saying about now, “Gary, you’re out of touch with reality. Families disagree and argue. We don’t always see eye to eye.” Right! We will never have the same thoughts, feelings, or perspectives. We have different personality types, approaches to life, and communication styles. But as much as we know this to be true, families can learn to respect their differences. Instead, we often battle with each other to “win” arguments or to change another person’s point of view. In the process of fighting for our rights and viewpoints, we end up disrespecting the rights and viewpoints of others. That’s where gratitude comes into play. The more gratitude or appreciation we feel for each other, the less disrespect we’re likely to experience.