Avoid Relationship Emergencies

It is human nature to avoid things until they are broken.  We don't often times think about the oil in our car until the light comes on, or eating right until the doctor or scale give us a warning.

Relationships are the same way.  We often neglect them until there is an emergency or reason for alarm.  In our society and culture that is so inundated with relationships (read Facebook/Twitter) it makes even more difficult to keep track of our more valuable relationships.  It is helpful to think in terms of there being three levels of relationships with: 1 - being those closest and most important to us; 2 - important friends and co-workers/classmates; and 3 - acquaintances/people who you know their names but not their story.

As you categorize the people that you know, clarify if you are giving your best energy to people in group one, or if 2 and 3 have hi-jacked your thoughts and calendar.  Think of a way to systematically "check-in" with those people in group 2.  I have a list of names that I try to cycle through monthly to make sure that I keep my relationships connected with the goal of knowing what is currently going on in their lives.  My group 3 is primarily maintained through random social media contact, and an attempt to contact people on their birthdays for a once a year "check in."

You may think it is crazy to try to come up with a system of maintaining relationships, but the truth is that it is easy to disconnect from people through the busyness of life and those connections are important!  I can think back now to relationships that I wish I had better maintained and not lost in the flow of life.

Checking in regularly and giving your best energy to group 1 also helps to avoid relational emergencies.  You never want to be the person whose marriage train wrecks, or relationship with their children vanishes, and you are caught saying, "I didn't know there was anything wrong!"

As Christians we should allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us as well!  When is the last time you sat down in your prayer time and said, "Holy Spirit, you know everything!  Can you tell me what I can do to make my important relationships better?"  I know from experience that God will bring things to your mind and heart that you need to know to strengthen your relationships!