Loving relationships require patience. Patience must become a way of life. We cannot expect all our differences to be resolved overnight or with one conversation. It takes time and diligence to understand another’s point of view and to negotiate answers to our differences. It is both a lifelong process and the heart and soul of relationships. We cannot build positive relationships without being diligent in our feelings, seeking understanding, affirming each other, and finding workable solutions.

Don’t expect perfection of yourself or your family members. On the other hand, don’t settle for anything less than a loving relationship. We must make room for momentary relapses. None of us change quickly, and we often revert to old patterns. You’ve heard the cliche “Rome was not built in a day.” This is true in relationships as well. Exercise patience, and you are likely to be rewarded.

Take time to pray and thank God for the healthy, functional relationships you enjoy with friends and loved ones. Acknowledge your less-than-functional relationships. Ask God to help you show His love to those people.

Take time to discuss together or reflect on these questions:

What effect has impatience had on your relationships? Explain.

What is the biggest obstacle to effective communication in your relationships? Explain.

Consider these passages for further study on Healthy Relationships.

1 Corinthians 6:1-20

”When you have something against another Christian, how can you bring yourself to go before judges who are not right with God? Why do you not let God’s people decide who is right? Surely you know that God’s people will judge the world. So if you are to judge the world, are you not able to judge small cases as well? You know that in the future we will judge angels, so surely we can judge the ordinary things of this life. If you have ordinary cases that must be judged, are you going to appoint people as judges who mean nothing to the church? I say this to shame you. Surely there is someone among you wise enough to judge a complaint between believers. But now one believer goes to court against another believer—and you do this in front of unbelievers! The fact that you have lawsuits against each other shows that you are already defeated. Why not let yourselves be wronged? Why not let yourselves be cheated? But you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do this to other believers! Surely you know that the people who do wrong will not inherit God’s kingdom. Do not be fooled. Those who sin sexually, worship idols, take part in adultery, those who are male prostitutes, or men who have sexual relations with other men, those who steal, are greedy, get drunk, lie about others, or rob—these people will not inherit God’s kingdom. In the past, some of you were like that, but you were washed clean. You were made holy, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. “I am allowed to do all things,” but not all things are good for me to do. “I am allowed to do all things,” but I will not let anything make me its slave. “Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not for sexual sin but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. By his power, God has raised the Lord from the dead and will also raise us from the dead. Surely you know that your bodies are parts of Christ himself. So I must never take the parts of Christ and join them to a prostitute! It is written in the Scriptures, “The two will become one body.” So you should know that anyone who joins with a prostitute becomes one body with the prostitute. But the one who joins with the Lord is one spirit with the Lord. So run away from sexual sin. Every other sin people do is outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God. So you do not belong to yourselves, because you were bought by God for a price. So honor God with your bodies.“
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭20‬ ‭NCV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/105/1co.6.1-20.NCV

I Corinthians 13:1-13

”I may speak in different languages of people or even angels. But if I do not have love, I am only a noisy bell or a crashing cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy. I may understand all the secret things of God and have all knowledge, and I may have faith so great I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing. I may give away everything I have, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing if I do not have love. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. Love never ends. There are gifts of prophecy, but they will be ended. There are gifts of speaking in different languages, but those gifts will stop. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will come to an end. The reason is that our knowledge and our ability to prophesy are not perfect. But when perfection comes, the things that are not perfect will end. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. It is the same with us. Now we see a dim reflection as if we were looking into a mirror, but then we shall see clearly. Now I know only a part, but then I will know fully, as God has known me. So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.“
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭13‬ ‭NCV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/105/1co.13.1-13.NCV

Galatians 5:14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

2 Chronicles 15:7

”But you should be strong. Don’t give up, because you will get a reward for your good work.”“
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬ ‭NCV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/105/2ch.15.7.NCV

Great thoughts of Gary Chapman. A way to evaluate to learn how you can improve yourself with others. What stands out to me is to keep forgiveness in your heart.