I received an email today titled, “Three Qualities that Improve Every Relationship,” written by Ken Sande on his Relational Wisdom 360 blog. The following is an excerpt:
“I’ve noticed an identical dynamic in friendships, marriages and ministries, all of which either thrived or withered to the degree that people cultivated humility, teachabilityand flexibility.
“Humilityis the quality of having a modest view of one’s own importance, rank or abilities. It includes a recognition that you don’t have all the answers, that you may be wrong at times and that others may have better insights, wisdom and abilities in certain areas than you do (see Prov. 15:33; Prov. 18:12; Prov. 22:4; Phil. 2:3-4).
“Teachabilityis the quality of being able, willing and eager to learn from others. It includes an appreciation for the gifts, abilities and experiences of others and a recognition that you can benefit and grow by listening to and learning from them (see Prov. 13:1; Prov. 15:22; Prov. 15:31; Prov. 19:20).
“Flexibiltyis the quality of being able to easily modify your own opinions, goals and actions. It includes the ability to adapt to new information, change course, compromise on non-moral issues, and value other’s interests as highly as your own (see Prov. 22:3; 1Sam. 25:32-35; Phil. 2:3-4; Matt. 21:32; Luke 22:42).
“These three qualities are mutually supporting. The more you exercise any one of them, the easier and more natural it becomes to exercise the others.”