Are you looking for relationship help? This article discusses some of the key issues you need to know to have relationship success.

You Were Made in God’s Image

Here you will find relationship help tools for improving intimacy. Because you were made in the image of the Triune God, you were made for intimacy. Listen to what God said… “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness (Genesis 1:26).

Who’s He talking about? “Let us”, “in our”? God is talking about the Trinity. He is the Triune God. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: He is in perfect and harmonious relationship with Himself! And since it is in His image that you were made, He has much to offer you in the way of relationship help.

Healthy Relationships begin with …

Understanding our need for emotional intimacy. Emotional intimacy, though males and females experience it differently, is the primary need for both sexes. Emotional intimacy between two people looks like…

• Being known deep down and accepted
• Being able to share your dreams, hopes and desires
• Being able to share your strongest and most profound feelings

Healthy, satisfying and lasting intimacy requires an attachment or bond between people that creates a safe and secure environment. For couples, that relationship begins while dating. King David’s Psalm teaches us that our ability to form healthy intimate relationships begins at our mother’s breast and even impacts our ability to trust God.

If we are having relationship problems, it may also mean we need relationship assistance with God. Intimacy or relationship problems are often rooted in attachment issues.

Click here to learn more about attachment theory and how you can improve intimacy within your marriage relationship.

Related Posts For You:

• Relationship Problems
• Interpersonal Relationship
• Nonverbal Communication Skills

Some researchers have found that nonverbal communication accounts for as much as 80% of communication. That means if you want to improve your interpersonal relationships you must be aware of the way you communicate nonverbally.

Nonverbals refers to all the ways we communicate apart from words: like time management, body language, facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice to name a few.

Let’s take a look at these different kinds of nonverbal communication one at a time…

Time management: Making time for someone is a powerful way to communicate that you care. We all know what it is like trying to take care of an urgent medical need only to find out we can’t get in to see the doctor for 2 weeks. We translate that response as, “They just don’t understand, they just don’t care.”

In Gary Chapman’s book “The Five Languages of Love” he identifies spending quality time together as one of the 5 love languages. Along with spending time is the giving of one’s undivided attention. Which brings us to…

Body language as a type of nonverbal communication. Giving one’s undivided attention means that you not only remove distractions like phones, TV’s and computers from the immediate surroundings. It also means that the position of your body is attentive and open to the one you are communicating with.

Open and attentive communication looks like: Your body is facing the speaker. You are making eye contact comfortably with the speaker. You are nodding your head appropriately to reassure the speaker that you are listening. You give an occasional minimal verbal response like hmmm or ah-ha. Body language also includes facial expressions…

Facial expressions are the most powerful type of nonverbal communication. Our facial expressions communicate our emotion, even when we are unsure of what we are feeling. Some have referred to the face as the organ of emotion.

Facial expressions are such a powerful means of communication Proverbs 6:16 teaches that there are 6 things the Lord hates, 7 that are detestable to him: haughty eyes being the first thing mentioned! In Twila Paris’ song “How Beautiful” there is a line that goes, “How beautiful the tender eyes that choose to forgive and never despise. Wow! What power there is in a look! You can convey just as much power or even more in tone of voice.

Tone of voice is the one I get called on the most by my husband. Becoming aware of one’s tone of voice can be very helpful. We can say the same thing, but emphasize different words in the same phrase, to drastically change the meaning of the statement. For example….

• “Honey, are you going to take out the trash?”
• “Honey, are you going to take out the trash?”
• “Honey, are you going to take out the trash?”
• “Honey, are you going to take out the trash?”
• “Honey, are you going to take out the trash?”
• “Honey, are you going to take out the trash?”

Gestures are another way we communicate nonverbally. Gesturing is done with the hands. Growing up, my friends would always tease me about “talking with my hands.” I have to chuckle to myself when a couple comes in for counseling, wanting to improve their relationship, but…while one spouse is telling their side of the story, the other spouse is making faces, waving their hands in disbelief and all but saying “I can’t believe you’re saying that. You’ve got it all wrong!” Using nonverbal communications that convey care, interest and respect can contribute volumes to improving interpersonal relationships.

Our nonverbal communication conveys powerfully our interest, love and respect for others. For example when my husband is trying to talk to me while I am on the computer and I remain steadfastly glued to the screen, giving him only minimal verbal responses…this does not say to him, “I love you, you’re number one in my life.” To become a more effective communicator become more aware of the way you communicate nonverbally.

Exceptional interpersonal relationship skill is necessary for both personal and professional success. Unfortunately it is not a skill that is thoroughly taught and emphasized at the High School or even college level of academia.

Relationship success requires good relationship skills

Yet, interpersonal relationship skill has tons to do with the quality of our lives. Even our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ will improve once we become intentional about using good interpersonal skills.

In this article on interpersonal relationship skills you will learn two important steps to developing your relationship skill…

First, identify what are you trying to communicate (feelings, facts). Many people speak without having really thought about what they are trying to communicate. At the very least, relationship skills are for the purpose of making a “connection” with another human being. Learn to make stronger interpersonal connections by…

• Making your nonverbal communication consistent with your message.
• Understand the purpose or motive of your communication (give information, connect with others, resolve conflict).
• Speak graciously, without using offensive or derogatory words. British Council’s partner for IELTS teaches the correct English grammar.
• Give the benefit of the doubt…don’t blame others.
• Speak as if the Lord were present (because He is).

Also, all parents want their child to have good grades, be well-spoken, and be confident in themselves. You may want to visit secondary level English language tuition site for more details!

Second, did you know that people can listen about four times faster than they speak? The average listening comprehension speed is about 600 words per minute. The average speaking speed is 150-200 words per minute. What does this bit of truth mean to your interpersonal relationship skills?

• More focused energy is required to be a good listener.
• Listen more than you speak, after all God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth.
• Remember the 80/20 rule. When someone is speaking to you, you should listen 80% of the time and speak only 20%.

Learn to be an excellent listener by…

• Caring more about what the speaker is saying than your response.
• Choosing not to argue in your head with the listener.
• Choosing not to formulate your rebuttal while the speaker is talking.
• Instead, tune in completely to what they are saying for the purpose of understanding them.
• Choosing to respond to what they said, rather than what you want to say.

You were made for relationship…therefore, choose to be more committed to making a healthy connection with others by developing your interpersonal relationship skill. Your personal and professional success depends on it.

In this article on interpersonal relationship tips you will learn….

Four Steps to improving your relationships.

We spend about 80% of our time communicating, yet most of us have spent very little time learning how to communicate well. If you want to improve your relationships, you must improve your communication skills.

First, Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Colossians 4:6).

My husband and I have a saying that goes, “Some people talk just to hear their marble rattle.”

You know, like the marbles in a paint can that rattle, rattle, rattle while you’re shaking up the paint.

Good relationships are more likely to develop when you the speaker don’t spend valuable time and energy grumbling and complaining about what bothers you. Nobody enjoys listening to a complainer, so examine the content of your speech and determine what it is that you talk about the most. Then decide whether your words are full of grace.

Second, Ecclesiastes 6:11 says The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? Have you ever talked to someone who doesn’t let you get in a word edgewise? We all know someone who totally dominates the conversation…

What about you? Have you ever listened to yourself speak? Conversation, like relationship, is built on give and take. You say a little, then the other person responds. The other person says something, then you respond. Like playing a game of tennis. A tennis racquet used to take turns hitting the ball

back and forth over the net. Each person participates in a more or less balanced conversation. An interpersonal relationship is built on balance.

Third, be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19). Someone said that listening is 90% of communication. Of course hearing is not the same as listening. Active listening means we take an active role in communicating. Hearing on the other hand is a function of our physiology. Active listening requires the listener to care about what the other person is saying…that is a requirement for good relationships.

The person who actively listens, listens out of empathy and other centeredness, rather than self-centeredness. Active listening reminds us that communication is mostly about relationships, not simply an exchange of information.

Finally, Ephesians 4:29 says, Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Wow! What if we all did that.

1. 1. 1. Don’t use coarse language. Don’t say offensive things.
      2. Use your words to build up other people.

How often do you or those you have personal relationships with talk about the negatives? How often do you complain about what someone did or didn’t do? Paul is admonishing us to make building others up the focus of our conversations.

Be sure to use your words to build others up and not tear them down. The Bible has lots to tell us about how to do interpersonal relationships right.