at all costs ? Predeciding to protect the integrity of a relationship redefines what it means to win . Love doesn ’ t seek to win the argument . Love seeks to protect the relationship . Besides , nobody ever wins an argument when family is involved . I ’ ve seen too many parents win all the arguments and lose their kids in the process .
There ’ s no guaranteed return on investment when you do what love requires . But this is how we make the world better . And , if we ’ re honest , this is how we want to be treated by others .
Taken from Better Decisions , Fewer Regrets by Andy Stanley . Copyright © 2020 by Andy Stanley . Used by permission of Zondervan . www . zondervan . com .
So , what does love require of you ?
It may require you to get up out of your chair , walk into the kitchen or bedroom , and apologize . I ’ ll wait .
It may require you to pick up your phone and rebuild a bridge you burned with your unassailable logic and sarcasm . You were right ! But being right wasn ’ t what love required of you . You may need to write a letter . Rewrite an email . Invite someone to meet you for coffee . And no , the other party may not be interested in what love requires of you . They may have no interest in what love requires of them either .
NOW
I warned you .
Andy Stanley is a communicator , author , and pastor who founded Atlanta-based North Point Ministries ( NPM ) in 1995 . Today , NPM consists of seven churches in the Atlanta area and a network of nearly 100 churches around the globe that collectively serve nearly 185,000 people weekly . As host of Your Move with Andy Stanley , which delivers over 10.5 million messages each month through television and podcasts , and author of more than 20 books , including The New Rules for Love , Sex & Dating ; Ask It ; How to Be Rich ; Deep & Wide ; and Irresistible , he is considered one of the most influential pastors in America . Andy and his wife , Sandra , have three grown children and live near Atlanta .
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