Healthy Relationships Strive for Balance
Are all of your relationships healthy? These include your spouse, children, parents, friends, co-workers, running buddies, members of your church, and anyone else you might spend time with on a regular basis.
A healthy relationship is one that is balanced, in the things that matter.
Of course, you may often have a relationship that is out-of-balance. You might sense that something is not right, and are not sure how to fix it. So what are the elements that need to be addressed?
Grace and truth.
This is a topic often not considered or discussed outside of church walls. Yet, it’s essential for all types of relationships.
Sometimes we need to extend grace to someone. Other times we need to speak the truth, in love. It’s unhealthy if you choose one over the other, and it can be disastrous if you neglect both. It requires a balance of both grace and truth.
A few years ago, I recorded a Values Quote that spoke to this very issue. Randy Alcorn provided some brilliant insight into why we have relationship issues, and the two critical measures we need to continually balance.
So, as you look to create your best year ever, make sure you maintain a healthy balance of extending grace and speaking the truth in all your relationships. You’ll not only be adding lots of value to others, you’ll also be creating a healthy state of peace for yourself.
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Today’s quote is from Randy Alcorn, an award-winning author of both fiction and non-fiction Christian books, and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries.
A thought-provoking quote from Alcorn is:
“Countless mistakes in marriage, parenting, ministry, and other relationships are failures to balance grace and truth. Sometimes we neglect both. Often we choose one over the other.”
There’s some solid wisdom. Many of our mistakes in relationships can be attributed to us being out of balance.
As a differentiating value, Balance means a state of equilibrium; poise; or equality of distribution.
Regarding our relationships, Alcorn provides the two measures we can use to maintain balance: grace and truth. But how does one maintain equilibrium between these two measures?
The first piece of advice offered is to not neglect them. Speaking the truth in love is important. It’s a key ingredient to resolving conflicts. But being willing to forgive, offering grace, is equally important to preserve any relationship.
The second piece of advice Alcorn offers is to not choose one over the other. All truth and no grace can be hard to take. It can feel like you’re demanding perfection. But all grace and no truth, and there is no learning or growth.
What a different world it would be for us if we kept all our relationships in balance between grace and truth.
