Relationship ResonanceSample

"(I)nvest"

It makes sense that gardens, grades, or retirement funds, need continual investments to grow and flourish. But many times we neglect to take this approach with our relationships. We usually put in a lot of time, effort and other resources in the beginning, but then we tend to go on autopilot and think that everything will take care of itself—we stop investing in our relationships.

The first relationship we need to be concerned with is the one with God. I try to start and end my day with a YouVersion Bible plan like this one so that God is the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep. I also try to think about and apply our pastor’s message throughout the week. I’m far from perfect in my attempts, but I still make it a priority in my life.

Next, we can use our God-given talents and abilities to serve and invest in others. We can give others our time, effort, treasure, knowledge and skill to name a few. And, to keep our relationships with others flourishing, we need to continually pour them in. 

In order to bring our absolute best into our relationships, we also need to invest in ourselves and make our health a priority. Diet and exercise are crucial for our mood, energy, resilience and endurance. So the healthier we are, the greater the potential for healthy relationships as we can do more. 

Sometimes the first step on the road to health is eliminating unhealthy habits and addictions. We all have areas to work on and we all know in our hearts what they are. So if you can’t change them on your own, I encourage you to get some help. The detox process might lead to a new healthy relationship!

I challenge you to find an alternative for an unhealthy food choice today, start an appropriate exercise program, and invest one of your God-given resources into a relationship you normally wouldn’t invest in.