Maintaining Strong In-law Relationships

Maintaining Strong In-Law Relationships

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:31-32

A NEWLY MARRIED COUPLE needs the emotional warmth that comes from a wholesome relationship with both sets of in-laws, and parents need the emotional warmth that comes from the couple. After all, as parents, we have a large investment in our children. But we’re not perfect. Sometimes we say things that hurt. Perhaps we didn’t mean it the way our children interpreted it, but the relationship is fractured.

Life is too short to live with broken relationships. Confessing our wrongs and asking for forgiveness are fundamental biblical principles that must be applied to in-law relationships as well as to marriage relationships. We do not have to agree with each other in order to have wholesome relationships, but bitterness and resentment are always wrong, as we see clearly in the passage above from Ephesians 4. As believers, we must take the high road when it comes to relationships with our adult children. Our ideals should be kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness.

Mutual freedom and mutual respect should be the guiding principles for parents and their married children.

Father, so many things can threaten our relationships with our parents or our children. Please help us not to take offense easily. When a wrong is committed, please remind us to be kind and forgiving rather than bitter and angry. I know our family relationships will be better for it.

In-laws