Whether you’re with your first real partner, just talking to someone, or you’ve been married to your significant other for 10 years, it’s easy to feel like your relationship is just not cutting it. We are surrounded by stories and images of “perfect” relationships, yet somehow no one has given us the magic formula that produces this kind of connection. So how do we do it? Do we take a note from this season’s Bachelor or Bachelorette and follow our hearts? Should we pay tribute to every Nicholas Sparks novel and give up absolutely everything for love; “If you’re a bird, I’m a bird”? Maybe it’s just us, but that all sounds vague and pretty impossible, and love was not designed to be either of those things.
Instead, love was designed to “bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:6-7). The kind of true love and healthy relationships that God has planned for us can be defined by a few simple things:
| UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS | HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS |
| Control Hostility Dishonesty Disrespect Dependence Intimidation Physical violence Sexual violence | Mutual Respect Trust Honesty Compromise Individuality Good communication Anger Control Fighting Fair Problem Solving Self Confidence |
Take a look at the chart above and think about which type of relationship you would rather be in. Of course, we all want to be in healthy relationships. But how can we make that happen? The short answer: by finding the right person and putting in the effort. For more on building healthy relationships, click here.
1“Characteristics Of Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships | Youth.Gov”. Youth.Gov, 2021, https://youth.gov/youth-topics/teen-dating-violence/characteristics. Accessed 3 Aug 2021.
