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Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interest of others.

 

My wife and I, along with 20 plus other couples had the opportunity to attend a marriage conference this past weekend. What made this conference different from others we have attended in the past was the focus placed on the individual’s responsibility to meet the needs of others. As human beings, we have biological needs that can only be met by being in a relationship or relating to others. These ten biological needs include: comfort, acceptance, affection, appreciation, approval, attention, respect, encouragement, security, and support. All of us have these biological needs that are being or not being met.

An important task that was given to each couple during the conference was to identify the top three needs int their relationship. Then, we were to think about how you react or respond when these needs are not met. For some couples this exercise was very revealing and for others not so much. What I noticed from this exercise was that one of my top three needs was actually one of my wife’s bottom needs and vice versa. This meant that my need was not being met because it was of little priority to her and I was not meeting her need because it was of less priority to me. This was a very revealing moment that allowed us to work in that aspect of our relationship.

During the marriage conference we were able to learn skills that would help greatly with listening, speaking up, connecting in our relationship and safely navigating disagreements. This conference offered relationship skills that could be applied to everyday relationships at home or in the workplace because it was centered around biblical principles. The bible teaches us the importance of relationships; we are to honor a father and mother, we are to submit to others in authority, we are to love our enemies as ourselves because they are created in the image of God. Most importantly, we are to have good relationships with others because this brings glory and honor to our God.