Counsels on Relationships

Counsel #23 — Helping Hand

Picture: Counsel #23 — Helping Hand CR 286.1

There will be seasons in any relationship when the balance shifts. Maybe one partner is grieving a loss, recovering from illness, facing job stress, or navigating pregnancy. During those times, the dynamic of give and take will naturally change as that person may need more support, patience, or care. CR 286.2

Healthy, Christ-centered love adapts when seeing the weight the other person is carrying. For example, a partner who says, “I’ve got you,” and backs it up with action—especially when the other is weighed down by depression or illness—is the epitome of sacrificial love. Christ-centered relationships are built on this very type of love—the kind that leans in when things get hard. In the Bible, Galatians reminds us to carry one another’s burdens, which also includes emotional ones. In addition to being present during hard times, it’s also important to communicate well. Temporary imbalance becomes unhealthy only when it turns into a long-term expectation without acknowledgment or effort to recalibrate. Although seasons shift, as time passes, support should soon flow both ways again.^[303] CR 286.3

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 NIV CR 286.4

“The tide of divine compassion flows into the sinner’s soul, and from him to the souls of others...” Ellen White in Reflecting Christ, p. 275 CR 286.5

Reflect: Are you willing to give more when your partner needs it most? CR 286.6