Show Me Your
By Chris Hodges
Everyone has been shaped by their
relationships. Think about your life right
now—your hopes and dreams, your joys
and accomplishments, as well as your
disappointments and struggles, your
fears and frustrations. Now consider
the way your key relationships—those
people you spend the most time with
and invest the most energy in knowing—
influence you. According to the Bible, “A
mirror reflects a man’s face, but what
he is really like is shown by the kind
of friends he chooses” (Proverbs 27:19
tlb). You are where you are because of
your relationships.
Occasionally, I’m asked to counsel
couples who feel like their marriage is
broken. In these situations, often the
first thing they say is, “Our marriage is
terrible, Pastor. The fire has gone out.
There’s nothing left here. It’s broken
beyond repair.”
“Just because the fire has gone out,”
I tell them, “doesn’t mean you can’t
restart it. Don’t blame the fireplace just
because you’re cold! For the fireplace
to work, you have to put wood on it—
continuously.” Good marriages, and
strong relationships of any kind, require
maintenance and nurturing. If your
As you think about the relationships in relationships aren’t where you want
your life, I encourage you to make four them to be, try nurturing them. Invest
crucial choices.
the time, energy, and attention needed
to help them thrive.
1. FOCUS ON NURTURING THE
RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE MOST You can’t grow in your faith by walking
IMPORTANT TO YOU.
alone. You need the love, support,
18 • Solutions