Choosing Right Relationships
Relationships have a profound shaping power in your life. Much of what you become in life is a result of relationships. Your
parents played a key role in shaping your morals, values, and world view. Your teachers have shaped your perspective in many foundational areas. Your friends have a huge impact on the way you act as well.
If relationships are so critical to the outcome of who we become, it would behoove us to carefully consider the friends we choose to integrate into our lives. A few months ago I shared the seven “C’s” for developing relationships that would be a great benefit to a person’s life. As you review these seven areas, consider the relationships that you currently have or are beginning to establish with others:
Assess Their Convictions
1. Beliefs
2. Values
3. Morals
Clarify their Core Values
1. Loyalty
2. Faithfulness
3. Honesty
4. Encouragment
5. Giving
6. Accountability
7. Purity
8. Level of Love
9. Willingness to Sacrifice
Discern their Character
1. Personal Standards
2. Attitudes
3. Actions
4. Reputation
5. Maturity levels – Spiritual, relational, emotional
Discover their Chemistry
1. Hobbies and Interests
2. Passions
3. Gifts and Talents
4. Personality
Understand their Calling
1. Identify their purpose
2. Ministry involvement (or lack of)
3. Long term vision for life
Check out their Companions
1. Friends and Acquaintances
2. Girl or Boy Friend (or spouse)
3. Their children (if applicable),
Review their Commitments
1. Commitment to other relationships (God, parents, pastors, peers)
2. Commitment to their local church
3. Commitment to their jobs.
4. Commitment to themselves.
Hopefully, these simple, yet important guidelines will help you to build lasting relationships that will propel you towards all that God has destined you to be. Give it a shot and see if you are pleasantly surprised.
