Christian Living

---

When you get right down to it, nothing else compares to having healthy, functional relationships. You can be going through adversity on the most intense level but a good relationship with another person will help pull you through. However, you can have all that the world has to offer but have a destructive, dysfunctional relationship that can make your life miserable.

Take the following inventory to get an idea of how you are doing at maintaining good, positive relationships. This can apply to marriage partners, coworkers, dating relationships, potential life partners, or just friends. You can also apply it to someone in your family that you have problems getting along with. Ready, set, here we go...

1. Do you think overall, well, or poorly of this person? Why?
2. Do you see his or her positive traits as well as the negative ones?
3. Do you seek to do acts of kindness?
4. Are you considerate of the other person's feelings and needs?
5. Do you listen well to the other person, without interrupting?
6. Do you always speak with a calm tone of voice to the other person?
7. When you discuss problems or issues, do you stick to the facts, or attack his or her character?
8. Do you make excuses for yourself and point blame at the other person?
9. When you express your dislikes or anger at something, do you yell, get all emotional, and end up fighting?
10. Do you take responsibility for whatever you can change in yourself that will improve your relationship with the other person?

I limited this to just 10 question, though there could be more. How did you do? This is particularly valuable for people contemplating marriage.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE