Your every relationship should be edifying.

My story in 37 seconds…

To edify is to uplift another morally and spiritually.

When I put my head down at the end of the day, my hope is that I have experienced the give and take of relationships that have been truly edifying.

For that to be so, much will depend on how I show up.

Like you, I have relationships with family and friends, colleagues and fellow citizens. Rare is the day that I don’t interact with neighbors, store clerks, people at work, and so many others encountered on the road of life.

Consider this.

If we all were intent on edifying each other, consciously and carefully committed to morally and spiritually uplifting each other… and we actually practiced being edifiers… wouldn’t this be a better place?

This single shared intent could make our world so much more uplifting.

So let’s be edifiers who are surrounded by edifiers.

More on Being an Edifier Today

Who will it be?

What encounter will you have today that will give each of you the opportunity to edify each other?

Pull that person into your mind. A friend or lover. A family member or neighbor. A colleague at work. A clerk at the convenience store. You get the idea. Pull up an image of that person right now.

This becomes your opportunity.

What will you do today that will be edifying?

Will the way you conduct yourself be instructive in a way that enhances another’s moral and spiritual growth?

Will your actions improve, or enrich another’s knowledge, understanding, or their character as a human being?

Will you strengthen or deepen their faith in something greater than themselves?

Will your presence leave another inspired?

And let’s remember, relationships run both ways.

Yes, you have every right to expect those closest to you to edify you.

Consider this.

The closer I am to someone, the higher are my expectations that he or she will edify me, and expect that same in return from me.

For those with whom I am closest, we both have high expectations about the nature of our relationship. We expect to be uplifted. Not all the time, but more than with most, and when needed most.

With those who are just passing through my life, my expectations are significantly diminished. Kind civility is appropriate in those moments, and maybe nothing more.

However, in all my relationships my expectations of myself remain high.

I am here to edify.

Am I an Olympia edifier? Hardly. My life is marked by one mistake after another. The intent remains, but my actions fall short time and time and time again.

Yet, my conscious intent remains: My desire is to have edifying relationships be they near or far, deep and lasting or shallow and passing.

And clearly, this isn’t just about me. It is about them, too.

I expect those closest to me to edify me. And why not?

“Ultimately, edification is a noble act that seeks to help others reach their full potential in life. It’s about building stronger individuals and communities through the power of knowledge, understanding, and compassion.” So says Google’s Bard.

What will you do if a relationship is NOT edifying?

I hope you and I will do our level best to be as edifying as possible anyway.

Will we challenge?

Or will we put up an appropriate boundary?

Hopefully, whatever we decide, at the end of our day, we will feel good about having fulfilled our intent to be our most uplifting selves.

This single shared intent, to be edifying in all our relationships, could make our world such a better place.

Let’s all be edifiers who are surrounded by edifiers.

Here is one simple reminder. Get a piece of paper and write EDIFY on it — and stick it on your refrigerator. Reinforce that positive intent. It will make a daily difference. I know it will.

I write about organized common sense that is meant to edify. My personal mission in life is to explore, map, and guide people to the KIN-dom of Heaven. Follow me on Medium, or subscribe and get an email whenever I publish. Thanks for reading along.