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CHAPTER 7

Broken Relationships

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Tolstoy

  • Why not prioritize everything we do on the basis of who's going to be crying at our funeral?
  • Why should we give ourselves to people who don't love us at the expense of those who do?

The Problem

  • Many men are succeeding at work, but failing at life. In pursuit of the good life, most men leave a trail of broken relationships.
  • "I was so busy taking care of company business that I never put my own financial house in order."
  • "I was so busy trying to improve my family's standard of living that, before I knew it, my children were grown and gone, and I never got to know them. Now they are too busy for me."
  • No amount of success at the office can compensate for failure at home.

Why Do Men Score So Low in Relationships?

  • God gave man the natural inclination to be task oriented -- referred to as the cultural mandate.
  • The culture we live in values possessions and accomplishments higher than people and relationships.
  • When is the last time you met a man who described himself in terms of the impact he is having on his children?
  • Our culture has persuaded most men that significance is related more to our balance sheet and our title than to teaching our children and cherishing our wives.

Grumpy Men

  • "Other people don't create your spirit, they only reveal it." Our wives don't make us grumpy; we are grumpy people looking for a place to grump.
  • The key to relationships is time. People know how much you value them by the amount and quality of time you are willing to spend with them.

Conclusion

  • Do my wife and children know that I am for them by the way I spend my time?
  • If you don't have enough time for your family, you can be 100% certain that you are not following God's will for your life

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Updated: 13 July 2002