Dwell On What’s Wrong

Conflict is an inevitable part of most any relationship. But often what brings about the conflict or what makes it worse is our tendency to easily see the wrongdoing of others and be blinded to our own. Unhealthy conflict and being overly critical of others can kill a relationship in a hurry. Having created each of us for human connection, does God also offer us a realistic way to save our relationships when we’ve wounded each other?

It’s easy to get lots of mixed messages about love—from the media, pop culture, our families, and the like. But God says the goal of love is to change us to be more like Him. The belief that the purpose of love is self-satisfaction, that it’s about getting your way, can lead to disaster. But how can we avoid the common misstep of inflexibility in our relationships?

Having healthy relationships is a pretty common goal, but achieving that goal can be a real challenge. Why is that? Why is it so tough to have happy relationships and to make those relationships last? It often seems as if many of us are better at killing relationships than keeping them. Extensive relationship research coupled with God’s guidance could be the key to getting it right.