Maintain Healthy Relationships

Last month YouGov.com released a major study on loneliness. The results showed that 15% of Baby Boomers, 20% of Generation X and 30% of Millennials ’often’ or ‘always’ feel lonely. Within the youngest group, 22% responded saying they had no friends and 27% said they had ‘no close friends.’ When asked to list some of the reasons why they didn’t have friends, 27% said they didn’t feel like they needed friends, 53% said they were shy, 20% said friendships were too much work, and 14% said they were too busy. Loneliness truly is the disease of our age, and people are finding it harder and harder to make new friends. In 1982 American author Kurt Vonnegut wrote: “What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” Community is simply a network of friendships. If there are fewer and fewer friendships, the network grows weaker and begins to breakdown. Fear, anxiety and mistrust all increase and tolerance, debate and harmony all decline. To build our communities, we must begin by building and maintaining our relationships. It takes effort, sacrifice, and daring to make new friendships, and to maintain existing relationships. This Sunday we look at a biblical story from King David’s life from the time before he was king. A young wife, Abigail, demonstrates the importance of relationship. Abigail discovered that her foolish husband had cheated, insulted and offended David, so she makes an incredible effort and sacrifice, and dares to approach an angry and upset David (and 400 of his armed men) in order to do what it took to repair the relationship.

Scripture References: 1 Samuel 25:2-35

Related Topics: Forgive, Humility, Relationships, Shame, Wisdom | More Messages from Phil Inglis | Download Audio

From Series: "Indispensable"

Seven pieces of indispensable wisdom from the bible.