4 STEPS TO BUILD A STRONG FAMILY RELATIONSHIP

 By Jessse Carnecer

 

In the movie Gladiator, Maximus the Gladiator played by Russel Crowe said, “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife . . .”

As we can see, Maximus identified himself through his relationship with his son and his wife. If you were him, would you have also identified yourselfthrough your family relationships or through other affiliations such as your job or social status?

When you ask someone about who they are, they may tell you something about the kind of job they have. Although this tells us what they do for a living, it does not answer the question of who they are.

But what is a family anyway?

It is important for us to define the word family so we know what kind of a relationship we are talking about.

• Charles Manson called his gang his family.
• The Pittsburgh Pirates call themselves a family.
• Members of the Mafia call themselves a family.
• Gangsters treat each other as family.
• Two men living together with their adopted child call themselves a family.

What is a family?

• It is a picture of a mother cooking dinner for her loved ones.
• It is through them that our character is molded and shaped.
• It is through them that we learn that we are loved and cared for.
• It is through them that we learn how to forgive one another.
• It is through them that we learn about God and what it means to obey and love Him.
• It is through them that we learn to share and live unselfishly.
• When we have been wounded by the world, our family surrounds us and comforts us.

Families are part of God’s grand design for the world.

And that is the reason why we need to build a strong family relationship.
Remember this:- A family can survive without a nation, but a nation cannot survive without a family.

But how can we strengthen our family relationship?

1. LEARN TO APPRECIATE ONE ANOTHER.

• Our home should be a place where we learn to appreciate and be appreciated.
• We like to be around people who appreciate us.

So, learn to appreciate your spouse and your children.

• Try not to miss an opportunity to give each other a sincere compliment.
• It is important to let family members know that they are important.

2. LEARN TO MAKE TIME FOR YOUR FAMILY.

• Balance wisely your professional life with your family life.
• Spend more time with your family.
• Plan more family activities that you will all find enjoyable.
• Invest your time and energy into building relationships with your spouse and children.

3. LEARN TO COMMUNICATE.

• A relationship without communication is dead.
• Yelling out to your spouse is not communication.
• Throwing temper tantrums is not communication.
• Losing one’s temper is like getting hit by a tornado: It is over in a few minutes but it can take years to clean up the mess it leaves behind.

4. LEARN TO HAVE A FAMILY PRAYER TIME.

• The family that prays together stays together.

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