“One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.” (Proverbs 18:9 NIV)
Laziness destroys relationships. No matter what you do in life, relationships are a part of it. Married or single, we have relationships with our friends, family and co-workers. Life is about the relationships we have. God places people in each of our lives. We are to have relationships with them. Relationships take work. If we don’t work at relationships, we destroy them.
Laziness destroys relationships.
Relationships with the people in our life requires work. Having a good relationship with your spouse takes work, from both parties. One person cannot do all of the work. Having healthy relationships with your friends takes work. One person can’t do all of the calling. Friendship is a two way street. Using the excuse, “You didn’t call me,” is not an excuse. The phone works both ways. Having a productive working relationship with your boss takes work. You have to accept, whether you like it or not, they are your boss. You have to respect their authority in your life. You have to find a way to deal with them. If you can’t deal with your boss, leave. Your boss isn’t going to change. You are the only one who has the power to change your work environment.
The lazier we are in our relationships, the worse the relationships are. We take people for granted. We know there’s a problem, but we don’t deal with it. We don’t take responsibility for our actions. We put the blame on others without taking any of it ourselves. We don’t pay attention to what is going on in our loved ones lives. We assume no news is good news, which isn’t always true. We ignore the nudges we have to call, text or email someone. We put our own needs before the needs of others.
God is clear, we’re to work on our relationships:
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3 NIV)
Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church says it this way:
“I want those who KNOW ME BEST to RESPECT ME MOST. That’s the true measure of SUCCESS.”
If we want the people who know us best to respect us most, we have to work at it. We have to take an honest evaluation of our relationships. We have to take responsibility for our part in them. We have to let others do the same. Each day is a new opportunity to do better. Laziness destroys, but hard work builds.
Question of the Day:
What relationship do you need to work on today?
Further Reading: 2 Kings 20:1-22:2 NIV, Acts 21:18-36 NIV, Psalm 150:1-6 NIV, Proverbs 18:9-10 NIV
