How to ensure your relationships aren’t damaged beyond repair
Family life is tough – we’re certainly not going to dispute this. There’s no doubt that some families deal with events much better than others though, and avoid the arguments that can quickly escalate and turn into something damaging.
This topic was brought to our attention following a sermon by Prophet TB Joshua. He reiterated the importance of making sure that you don’t destroy your relationships to a point where they are beyond repair.
Unfortunately, some families will constantly push limits and there will become a time where the button is hit and there is no turning back. It’s for this reason that this article has been put together, as we take a look at the common factors that destroy families. As you will soon see, many of these are minor, but over time they expand to significant levels.
A lack of apologies (and a lack of forgiveness)
Everyone makes mistakes. It will happen at work and it will happen in your family. The difference with the latter is that these mistakes tend to be much more hurtful. The upshot of this is that each mistake tends to make a little more difference than it would in everyday life.
Problems start to arise when these mistakes are not complemented by apologies. For some people, because they are affecting a member of their immediate family, it almost seems unnecessary to apologize. This naturally gives the message that you don’t care sufficiently – and over time it stands to reason that this can make a major impact.
At the same time, when you are on the receiving end of an apology – it’s time to quit grudges. These can work in exactly the same way as the above and arguably make an even bigger difference. The more grudges that a family has, the more conflict that is bubbling and awaiting to erupt one day.
Being unable to understand differences in opinion
Just because you are from the same family, doesn’t mean to say that everyone is the same. On the contrary, it’s certainly not unheard of for siblings to be completely different.
This can be difficult for a lot of people to understand though. It can be difficult to accept that people who are close to you think differently and again, this can be a huge source of conflict. It starts to become apparent that you’re not accepting people for who they are – as you want them, and feel like they should, be the same as you.
Once again, it’s a recipe for conflict. Change your way of thinking and accept the views of everyone.
The gossip-factor
There are times when gossip can be humorous, sometimes intriguing, but when it comes to families and internal discussions of this nature it can be hugely damaging.
Put simply, gossip tends to result in people taking sides. A family should not be comprised of sides, it should be one unit. By eliminating gossip, this philosophy becomes much easier to follow.
