The common belief is that most people want to grow and mature. They want their relationships to do the same, but what if someone is content living a shallow life?

In all fairness, I wanted to include skills for those wishing to remain shallow in their relationships. Here’s a checklist of activities that will help you live a shallow life.

• Stuff your feelings
• Always avoid difficult topics
• Deny strongly whenever you are confronted
• Run away from deepening dialogues
• Be easily offended
• Never explore any new, unknown issues
• Highly value independence
• Say yes, but never follow through
• Use an angry tone to keep the other person off balance
• Never risk being open or vulnerable
• Only talk about easy, simple topics
• Act like you have it all together
• Remember, you can’t get in much trouble if the conversation is short
• Have stern looking eyes
• Talk a lot about yourself
• Say things that keeps the other person off balance
• Stay if the conversation is fun, silly, or light, but never stay if the conversation deepens
• Remember there is strength in repetitive use of the victim role
• Make sure you have more disappointments than the other person
• When they are talking, fidget and act impatient
• Never quite understand the other person’s point of view
• Repeat often, “That doesn’t make sense.”
• Call your wife a silly little girl
• Tell her she’s acting immature
• Finally, say with disgust “Don’t be stupid.”

Prayer

Father, forgive me for the times that I act shallow. Help me grow into the image of Christ. Help my thinking to be mature. Help my language to be wise. Thank you for your patience. Please give me wisdom. Amen.

The Bible

Put off the old self… be made new in the attitude of your mind. And put on the new self to be created like God in true righteousness and holiness. Eph. 4:22-24 NIV