085: Navigating Difficult Friendships with Rebekah Hargraves (Solo Episode 1)

Rebekah Hargraves is the host of the Home and Hearth Podcast, which, up until this point, has always been an interview-style podcast. Now, however, she is branching out into recording the first of (what will hopefully be many - that's up to the feedback she gets from you!) her solo podcasts to talk on the topic of "Navigating Difficult Friendships". What She Chats about in Today's Episode: ~A bit of Rebekah's own experience with difficult friendships ~How friendship is messy as a result of our living in a fallen world; why this should not come as a surprise ~5 red flag warning signs to watch out for in your friendships: Friends who ignore your boundaries (Proverbs 25:17) Friends who are emotionally insensitive (Proverbs 25:20, 27:14, ) Friends who betray confidences (Proverbs 11:9) Friends who are given to backbiting (Proverbs 1:28) Friends who are commonly given to belittling people (Proverbs 11:12) ~The friendship example Jesus is for us ~The difference between being a backbiting friend and being a Biblical friend that is as iron that sharpens iron ~How to deal with friends who are operating out of one or more of the above five red flags ~The problem with the "good little Christian girl" syndrome ~Turning the other cheek vs. exercising boundaries ~The Matthew 18 Method (Matthew 18:15-17) ~Being enablers and idolizing your own comfort vs. seeking to erect necessary boundaries and be as iron that sharpens iron ~6 steps to take when dealing with a difficult friend: Pray (James 1:5) Point out the problem (Matthew 18:15) If necessary: Bring witnesses (Matthew 18:16) Erect Boundaries (Matthew 18:17) Continue to Pray for Reconciliation and walk by the Spirit as you do (Galatians 5:16) Proceed with caution if/when prompted by the Spirit to reconcile and restore wisely ~Our call to be ministers of reconciliation   ~And more! For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast