Try thinking about the relationships in your life like a bank account. A bank account is a place to keep your money, and you manage that account by making deposits and withdrawals. As you know, the idea of successfully managing your finances is to make more deposits than withdrawals. The same is true for relationships: you need to make more relational deposits than withdrawals.
If you withdraw more money from your account than you have in the bank, that’s a problem. The bank does not like you taking their money, and a deficit will get you into trouble. On the other hand, an overage of money will make the bank very happy and they are more than willing to keep all the extra money you want them to.
The significant relationships in your life operate like bank accounts. You are constantly making deposits or withdrawals in the relationships of life. If you keep making withdrawals, there will come a point when the relationship is operating in a deficit and it will cause problems. But, if you continue to make deposits in your significant relationships, you are benefiting those relationships and they will remain full. A relationship is a two-way street, but you hold the key to healthily maintaining your end of it. You are the one who chooses to make deposits or withdrawals. I encourage you to look for more ways to make deposits in your relationships.
This blog is from our partner Impact Discipleship Ministries. Sign up here to get updates sent to your inbox about ministries like theirs so you can grow as a disciple maker.
There are tons of ways to make deposits in your relationships. Words of encouragement, acts of service, giving someone a gift, and spending time with someone: all of these love languages are just a few of many ways you can make a deposit in the significant relationships in your life.
Remember that negative or discouraging words, ignoring others, taking and not giving, and a lack of concern or care for others will drain and strain your significant relationships.
You know how to manage the relationships in your life. Take a step back on a practical level and see whether you are making more deposits or withdrawals. You will begin to see your relationships thrive and flourish over time when you start making more investments in them.
Managing your relationships is a big part of what it means to be a fully trained disciple of Christ. Your relationships are a God-given resource, and our goal as disciples is to honor God with our resources. In the end, thriving relationships benefit you, but they also honor God (who gave them to you to enjoy.)
By Ken Adams
Impact Discipleship Ministries exists to help you be and build disciples. For resources or training for disciple making, check out their website or contact them through impactdisciples.com.
https://impactdisciples.com/relationship-deposits-withdrawals/