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I was dumbstruck. Never had I realized my first priority in my relationships—marriage and otherwise— was to help one another grow in glory as co-image bearers of God.

Joni Eareckson Tada summed it up in this prayer, “Jesus, help me to see my goal in any relationship. I want to join you in helping to grow the glory of the other.”

Years ago, I thought relationships were all about me. Was the relationship serving me? Making me happy? What was I getting out of it?

Paul says when we behold Jesus and take in more of Him, we become more like Him. This, in turn, helps lead others to do the same.

But how can we do this? We can pray to grow another's glory, serve others, and persevere even when, as Joni said, we get discouraged by how far our loved one is from glory.

Like a traffic guard, we want to pray for wisdom to direct others to Christ. This helps them and us grow in glory as we seek the Lord in the process.  

When we serve others as Jesus did, we shift our focus from ourselves to making others’ lives better. This floods our system with feel-good hormones as we do the Lord’s work.

This is not to say we shouldn’t seek professional help when needed and strive to maintain healthy boundaries. Godly counsel can go a long way in healing past hurts and trauma.

Although relationships can be wonderful, heartbreaking, and everything in between, we need each other. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been in a relationship from the beginning, and we were created in their image.

We were never told this life would be easy, including our relationships. Pray about your relationships. Pray to “grow the glory of another.” Hopefully, we will all look a little more like Jesus on that glorious day when we see Him face to face.