What do you bring to your friendships, romantic relationships and professional relationships? Ideally, it would be balance. Whether it’s professional, platonic or passionate, relationship balance is essential. Relationships are a cornerstone of human existence. In them we are strengthened, sharpened, and nurtured. Those relationships that contain a rich and vibrant combination of giving and receiving, speaking and listening, and idea creation and contemplation are most rewarding.
This rich and vibrant exchange doesn’t happen by osmosis. It happens when people are prepared and equipped with experience, wisdom, and willingness to invite someone else into a shared experience. In other words, it happens when each one brings something to the table and is willing to share it with the other. We each need not bring the same thing, but we each should bring something.
I’d really like to lift Barack and Michelle Obama as an example of a balanced relationship. Each of them contribute to the vibrance of their family and one another by bringing their own offering to the table. Watching them maneuver presidential transition, parenting, relocation, and marriage with grace and ease is nothing short of amazing. But one need not be a Harvard Law graduate to substantially contribute to, or participate in, a healthy relationship.
A spiritually mature church engages in balanced relationship. This is where each person (clergy, staff, and laity) brings something to the table…and not only the offering table. When persons are willing to bring their spiritual gifts, talents, and time to the faith community, there is balance. Where there is balance there is abundance. Consider Ephesians 6:11-13. We each need not bring the same thing to the table, but each should bring something to the table. (I will pursue this topic again in a separate post about church growth strategies because I believe balanced spiritual relationships builds the Church.)
Given that balanced relationships are “life-giving” how (and why) is it that so many people do not experience balanced relationships? Submit a comment below.
December 18th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Thank you for lifting relationships and balance as a Christian virtue. So often we pass by one another and treat relationships like the leftover meal that we thought we wanted but ended up throwing away days later. I applaud you for raising this topic for us to wrestle with.
Signed,
Hopeful
December 21st, 2008 at 1:29 am
I think that we do not have balanced relationships (in most cases) because we do not seek God for spiritual guidance. We get caught up in the simple things of the relationship such as looks, careers and engaging in pre-marital sex. Then once that fades we get into the meat of the relationship and we dont know how to cope. we begin to think, what brought me to this person? He/she doesnt even believe in the things that I believe in.
Just my thoughts!
June 5th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
I agree with Kimberly. We should have a good relationship with God in order to have a fulfilling relationship with others and this would include our spouse. But I would say the same thing that those are just my opinions or my “thoughts”