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		<title>Forgiveness, Freedom and The Good Life</title>
		<link>https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life</link>
		<comments>https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:40:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Josh Reich</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1 john]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fatih]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forgiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gospel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[matthew 18]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://joshuareich.org/?p=31580</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[<p>At some point in your relationships, you will be hurt. Someone will say something that marks you; it might be a small thing or something that changes your relationship(s) forever. You might be the one who says something. Maybe you have already experienced this and wondered, How do I trust again? How do I forgive [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/">Forgiveness, Freedom and The Good Life</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/"></a><div id="attachment_31071" style="width: 629px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/alex-shute-oLYzJXvsSnE-unsplash-scaled.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31071" class=" wp-image-31071" src="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/alex-shute-oLYzJXvsSnE-unsplash.jpg?resize=619%2C411&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="619" height="411" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-31071" class="wp-caption-text">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@faithgiant?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Alex Shute</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/oLYzJXvsSnE?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At some point in your relationships, you will be hurt. Someone will say something that marks you; it might be a small thing or something that changes your relationship(s) forever. You might be the one who says something. Maybe you have already experienced this and wondered, How do I trust again? How do I forgive that person and move forward?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our ability to forgive someone and move forward has an enormous impact on our ability to live in and experience </span><a href="https://www.communitycovenant.church/series/the-good-life/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">the good life</span></i></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">that God has for us. </span></p>
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<p><em>How do you forgive that person and move forward?</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=How+do+you+forgive+that+person+and+move+forward%3F&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
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<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When forgiveness comes up, we immediately jump to what is next. It is natural. But there is an interesting phrase that Jesus uses in Matthew 18 when he talks about forgiveness and reconciliation. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In verse 15, Jesus says, &#8220;</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">If </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">your brother sins against you.&#8221;</span></p>
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<p><em>A question Jesus wants us to ask that we often skip over is: Did they sin against me or just annoy me?</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=A+question+Jesus+wants+us+to+ask+that+we+often+skip+over+is%3A+Did+they+sin+against+me+or+just+annoy+me%3F&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
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<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, before confronting or bringing someone with us, we need to step back and ask, &#8220;Did this person sin against me?&#8221; Or did they do something I didn&#8217;t like?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The reality is that they may have sinned against you, and you need to confront this issue. They may also have done something you didn&#8217;t like. The reason I start here is that we often get hung up on and ruminate on things we should let go of more quickly. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once you have clarity on whether it is something for you to wrestle with and let go of, or if it is indeed something you need to confront someone about or navigate the steps of forgiveness, you can move forward. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forgiveness is tough.</span><a href="https://www.communitycovenant.church/messages/wise-love-and-boundaries-proverbs-1320/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In a sermon</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, giving forgiveness sounds so easy and clean. Yet, in real life, it is complicated and messy. Often, we forgive as much as we believe we are forgiven. Whenever we withhold forgiveness, we deny the power of the cross. Whenever we say, &#8220;I can&#8217;t forgive that person,&#8221; or &#8220;I can&#8217;t let go of that situation&#8221;, we deny the power of the cross. We deny the power of what God redeemed us to do.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
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<p><em>How to Forgive, Let Go &amp; Deal with Hurt in Relationships.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=How+to+Forgive%2C+Let+Go+%26amp%3B+Deal+with+Hurt+in+Relationships.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
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<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before walking through giving forgiveness, let&#8217;s look at what forgiveness is not, because many of us have the wrong idea about forgiveness. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
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<p><em>5 things forgiveness is not.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=5+things+forgiveness+is+not.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
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<p></span></p>
<p><b>Forgiveness is not the same thing as forgetting.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Forgive and forget is not a reality. We will always remember. It is a part of our story and past. We will not forget the room, the smell, the face, the words. </span></p>
<p><b>Forgiveness does not always mean reconciling or trusting.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Just because you forgive someone does not mean you have a relationship with them moving forward. Wisdom might require you to have boundaries. You can forgive them and release them, but the wisdom may tell you not to trust them. You can also reconcile with them and not trust them to the same degree you once did. </span></p>
<p><b>Forgiveness does not mean excusing what happened.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This goes with forgetting, but forgiveness does not mean you are ignoring it or saying it’s no big deal. </span></p>
<p><b>Forgiveness is not simple or easy.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> When the other person pushes you to forgive, they underestimate the impact of their words and actions. Forgiveness is complex and challenging. </span></p>
<p><b>Forgiveness does not depend on the other person.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> You can forgive someone who hasn’t asked for forgiveness. They don&#8217;t need to apologize for you to forgive and let them go. Stop letting them take up real estate in your heart and mind.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
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<p><em>5 myths about forgiveness.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=5+myths+about+forgiveness.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
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<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forgiveness involves letting go, canceling what is owed to you, and relinquishing the control the offender has over you. It is giving up revenge; as we see in </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012%3A19&amp;version=CSB"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Romans 12:19</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, it leaves it in God&#8217;s hands.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As you walk through this door and grant forgiveness, here are a few things to keep in mind:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
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<p><em>3 things to remember when you forgive.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=3+things+to+remember+when+you+forgive.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
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<p></span></p>
<p><b>Forgiving someone does not mean pretending it didn&#8217;t happen.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Forgiving does not mean forgetting, as the old saying goes. Those scars still exist. They are still there. Forgiving means acknowledging it happened and the pain associated with it. It is facing the hurt.</span></p>
<p><b>Giving forgiveness carries a cost.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> There is a cost to forgiveness. The cost of forgiveness is always on the person granting forgiveness. This is why forgiveness is so hard. C.S. Lewis said, &#8220;Forgiveness is a beautiful word until you have something to forgive.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><b>Forgiveness is possible because Jesus bore your sin and the cost of forgiveness.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> When we look at the cross, we see how Jesus bore our sins, knowing we would fail repeatedly. Yet, he forgave us. The power of this moment is what enables us to forgive the way Jesus did.</span></p>
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<p><em>How to forgive, let go of your hurt, and move forward in relationships.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=How+to+forgive%2C+let+go+of+your+hurt%2C+and+move+forward+in+relationships.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
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<p></span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2025/09/22/forgiveness-freedom-and-the-good-life/">Forgiveness, Freedom and The Good Life</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">31580</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>How to Know if You&#8217;re Dealing with an Evil Person</title>
		<link>https://joshuareich.org/2023/06/26/how-to-know-if-youre-dealing-with-an-evil-person/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=how-to-know-if-youre-dealing-with-an-evil-person</link>
		<comments>https://joshuareich.org/2023/06/26/how-to-know-if-youre-dealing-with-an-evil-person/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jun 2023 13:12:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Josh Reich</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boundaries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[evil people]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthy relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[henry cloud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[necessary endings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[proverbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://joshuareich.org/?p=31058</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[<p>One of the things that gets us in trouble in our relationships is that we respond to people the same. The reality is that our response to people depends on some things. The boundaries we have with one person aren&#8217;t the boundaries we should have with another person. The book of Proverbs states that there [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2023/06/26/how-to-know-if-youre-dealing-with-an-evil-person/">How to Know if You&#8217;re Dealing with an Evil Person</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://joshuareich.org/2023/06/26/how-to-know-if-youre-dealing-with-an-evil-person/"></a><p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ThosePeople.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-31062" src="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ThosePeople.jpg?resize=620%2C349&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ThosePeople.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ThosePeople.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ThosePeople.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ThosePeople.jpg?resize=760%2C428&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ThosePeople.jpg?resize=518%2C291&amp;ssl=1 518w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ThosePeople.jpg?resize=82%2C46&amp;ssl=1 82w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ThosePeople.jpg?resize=600%2C338&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ThosePeople.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the things that gets us in trouble in our relationships is that we respond to people the same. The reality is that our response to people depends on some things. The boundaries we have with one person aren&#8217;t the boundaries we should have with another person.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The book of Proverbs states that there are 3 kinds of people: Wise, foolish, and evil. How do we know what kind of person we are dealing with? It depends on their reaction to the truth.</span></p>
<p>We&#8217;ve already laid out <span style="font-weight: 400;">how to <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2023/06/12/what-makes-a-wise-person/">know if you are a wise person</a> or <a href="https://www.communitycovenant.church/messages/wise-people-proverbs-3/">dealing with a wise person</a> and how to know if you are a <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2023/06/19/how-to-know-if-youre-dealing-with-a-foolish-person/">foolish person</a> or <a href="https://www.communitycovenant.church/messages/fools-evil-people-proverbs-96-9/">dealing with a foolish person</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do you know if you are dealing with an evil person? They aren&#8217;t the same, and we must deal with them accordingly. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Henry Cloud, in</span><a href="https://amzn.to/43DcMJ4"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Necessary Endings</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> said, &#8220;Evil people are not reasonable; they seek to destroy.&#8221; </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
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<p><em>Evil people are not reasonable; they seek to destroy. -Henry Cloud</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=Evil+people+are+not+reasonable%3B+they+seek+to+destroy.+-Henry+Cloud&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2023/06/26/how-to-know-if-youre-dealing-with-an-evil-person/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
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<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here&#8217;s how you know you are dealing with an evil person: </span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">They like to bring others down. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">They are intentionally divisive. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">They enjoy it when someone else fails. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">They try to create the downfall of others. </span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
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<p><em>Traits of an evil person.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=Traits+of+an+evil+person.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2023/06/26/how-to-know-if-youre-dealing-with-an-evil-person/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
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<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When dealing with an evil person, you must go into protection mode, not helping mode. </span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2023/06/26/how-to-know-if-youre-dealing-with-an-evil-person/">How to Know if You&#8217;re Dealing with an Evil Person</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">31058</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>How to Build Healthy Community</title>
		<link>https://joshuareich.org/2022/08/09/how-to-build-healthy-community/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=how-to-build-healthy-community</link>
		<comments>https://joshuareich.org/2022/08/09/how-to-build-healthy-community/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2022 11:41:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Josh Reich</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Acts 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fellowship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friendships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[glenn packiam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lord of the rings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the resilient pastor]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://joshuareich.org/?p=30670</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[<p>All of us need community and friendships. Yet, if we&#8217;re honest, most of us do not put the time and effort into them that we should. I know that I can slack off, and when I need or want more friends, it is easy to get frustrated. As I look at my own life, I [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2022/08/09/how-to-build-healthy-community/">How to Build Healthy Community</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://joshuareich.org/2022/08/09/how-to-build-healthy-community/"></a><div id="attachment_30675" style="width: 635px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/matheus-ferrero-TkrRvwxjb_8-unsplash-scaled.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-30675" class=" wp-image-30675" src="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/matheus-ferrero-TkrRvwxjb_8-unsplash.jpg?resize=625%2C417&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="625" height="417" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-30675" class="wp-caption-text">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/es/@matheusferrero?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Matheus Ferrero</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/group?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All of us need community and friendships. Yet, if we&#8217;re honest, most of us do not put the time and effort into them that we should. I know that I can slack off, and when I need or want more friends, it is easy to get frustrated.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As I look at my own life, I think two things that get us into trouble are:</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We don&#8217;t know the kind of relationships that we need.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We put too much pressure on relationships, thinking they all need to be deep, lifelong friendships.</span></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recently, I read </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3QlnZax"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Resilient Pastor: Leading Your Church in a Rapidly Changing</span></i></a> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">World </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">by Glenn Packiam, and he uses Frodo and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Lord of the Rings </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">to help us see the kinds of friendships we need. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As you read through this, ask yourself a few questions:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you have these kinds of people and friends in your life?</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you&#8217;re missing someone, how do you fill that space?</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What roles do you play in the lives of others?</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first category that Packiam talks about is </span><b>The Sage.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This is Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings. The wise wizard who appears at all the right moments. The sage represents the wisdom of those who have gone before you. People who are further along, older than you, more mature, have more life experience and deeper faith than you. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You are further along than someone; you are more mature than someone. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You need a sage, and you might be a sage to someone else. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The sage isn&#8217;t necessarily the superstar, but they are steady and persistent. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Who is your sage?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The next category is </span><b>Companions.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> For Frodo, this is Merry and Pippin, and Samwise. Faithful, loyal friends. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the people you call at 3 am when your life falls apart; these are the first ones you call when you need help or hit a tragedy. These are also the first people who call you when you play this role for them. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
<hr />
<p><em>Who do you call when your life falls apart?</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=Who+do+you+call+when+your+life+falls+apart%3F&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2022/08/09/how-to-build-healthy-community/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam never leaves Frodo&#8217;s side. Even telling Frodo, &#8220;I can&#8217;t carry the ring for you, but I can carry you.&#8221; </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What a line. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We all need those kinds of friends, the kind of friends who carry us. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Who are the people who walk with you? Who do you walk with? Who do you reach out to when your life falls apart? Who calls you when their life falls apart?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similar to this is </span><b>Peers. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">For Frodo, these are the dwarves and the elves. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They know what Frodo is doing, they fight alongside him in the war, but they aren&#8217;t carrying what Frodo is carrying. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our paths cross, but we live different lives, and that&#8217;s okay. They might be other parents at school functions, sporting events, co-workers, or neighbors. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Often, we don&#8217;t think much about this relationship, but it is crucial. We often put too much pressure on relationships; we believe every relationship has to be deep or take a lot of time, but we need people we pop in and out of life with. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The next category for Frodo is the </span><b>King. </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">In middle earth, this is Aragorn. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Think of the King as the person who can tell you no. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
<hr />
<p><em>Who in your life can tell you no?</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=Who+in+your+life+can+tell+you+no%3F&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2022/08/09/how-to-build-healthy-community/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a person that carries some authority in your life. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They may be able to stop you from doing something, or they might have moral authority in your life that if they said, &#8220;You shouldn&#8217;t do that,&#8221; it would give you pause. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Who in your life has the power and influence to tell you that you are wrong or making a bad decision?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The last thing we need in our community is a </span><b>Healer.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> In Lord of the rings this is Elrond and Arwen, the elvish healers. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This could be a counselor, spiritual director, group leader, or friend who can speak to our pain and wounds. Who looks you in the eye and says, &#8220;that&#8217;s hard, that stinks what you walked through; you shouldn&#8217;t have to go through that.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This person can also hold up a mirror to you, help us see our sins in situations, and help us have needed perspective.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
<hr />
<p><em>The 5 relationships we need in our relational circle.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=The+5+relationships+we+need+in+our+relational+circle.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2022/08/09/how-to-build-healthy-community/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Who is missing in your circle?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Again, ask yourself these questions:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you have each of these kinds of people and friends in your life?</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you&#8217;re missing someone, how do you fill that space?</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What roles do you play in the lives of others?</span></li>
</ul>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2022/08/09/how-to-build-healthy-community/">How to Build Healthy Community</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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		<title>How to Evaluate Your Relationships</title>
		<link>https://joshuareich.org/2022/03/01/evaluate-relationships/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=evaluate-relationships</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2022 12:05:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Josh Reich</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colossians 3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthy marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthy relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[narrative]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://joshuareich.org/?p=28482</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[<p>Sunday we continued our series The Better Half and looked at the tone or narrative of our relationships. They create the atmosphere for our most important relationships. This includes how we look at money, sex, how we speak to each other, handle conflict, and so much more.  The tone for our relationships started a long [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2022/03/01/evaluate-relationships/">How to Evaluate Your Relationships</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://joshuareich.org/2022/03/01/evaluate-relationships/"></a><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1487059509674-389a7b979022?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&amp;ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1000&amp;q=80" alt="love neon signage" width="649" height="410" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.communitycovenant.church/messages/the-tone-of-relationships-colossians-3-12-17/">Sunday</a> we continued our series</span><a href="https://www.communitycovenant.church/series/the-better-half/"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Better Half</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and looked at the tone or narrative of our relationships. They create the atmosphere for our most important relationships. This includes how we look at money, sex, how we speak to each other, handle conflict, and so much more. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.communitycovenant.church/messages/the-tone-of-relationships-colossians-3-12-17/">The tone for our relationships started a long time ago in our family of origin</a>. You learned how to think about the opposite sex from how your parents handled sexuality and talked about the opposite sex. You learned how to handle conflict by how your parents dealt with conflict. Maybe you have continued that or tried to go the other way as an adult. But the impact is still there. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here is where this can become an issue. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Often, we are unaware of the tone of our relationships. We are unaware of how we interact because we have grown up in it; it is all we know, etc. When you go to someone&#8217;s house for the first time, you might see everything wrong with the house, but they have slowly stopped seeing it because they are used to it. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Colossians 3:5 &#8211; 17 allows us to evaluate our most important relationships. </span></p>
<hr />
<p><em>How to evaluate your relationships.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=How+to+evaluate+your+relationships.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2022/03/01/evaluate-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here&#8217;s how I&#8217;d encourage you to proceed:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Read through the verses below. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Choose one or two relationships that matter deeply to you. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Look at your side of the relationship and how you are contributing to it. Remember,</span><a href="https://www.communitycovenant.church/messages/becoming-the-better-half-john-21-11-genesis-218-25/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">you can only control your part of the relationship</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here is what Paul says in Colossians 3:1 &#8211; 17:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, think of one or two relationships. It could be your spouse, child, parent, friend, or co-worker.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you have them in mind?</span></p>
<hr />
<p><em>Signs of an unhealthy marriage.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=Signs+of+an+unhealthy+marriage.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2022/03/01/evaluate-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, let&#8217;s look at your part of the relationship through some of the words Paul uses. Do any of the following appear that you need to confess or seek forgiveness from the other person:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sexual immorality</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Impurity</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lust</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Evil desire</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greed</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anger</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wrath</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Malice</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Slander</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lying</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Is there anything hidden in your life in this area that your spouse doesn&#8217;t know about that you need to confess? Even if the other person doesn&#8217;t know you are doing something, it harms the relationship.</span></p>
<hr />
<p><em>How to protect your marriage and most important relationships.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=How+to+protect+your+marriage+and+most+important+relationships.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2022/03/01/evaluate-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paul starts by telling us, as a follower of Jesus, these things should not be true of our relationships. Are they? Do they appear?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The reality is some of them do. And when they do, we need to confess those things to God, seek forgiveness from God and the other person so that we can live in freedom.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But what should our relationships look like?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Evaluate your relationships now from what Paul says should be true about them:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Compassion</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kindness</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Humility</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gentleness</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Patience</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bearing with one another</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forgiving one another</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do these show up in your marriage, parenting, work relationships? Is there one that you are falling short on that you need to grow in? Ask God to give you the heart to do that, the desire to grow in that area. Look for ways to be more compassionate, kind or humble or gentle, and so on.</span></p>
<hr />
<p><em>What should be true of you as a follower of Jesus.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=What+should+be+true+of+you+as+a+follower+of+Jesus.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2022/03/01/evaluate-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2022/03/01/evaluate-relationships/">How to Evaluate Your Relationships</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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		<title>How to Make Your Life Count</title>
		<link>https://joshuareich.org/2021/10/25/how-to-make-your-life-count/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=how-to-make-your-life-count</link>
		<comments>https://joshuareich.org/2021/10/25/how-to-make-your-life-count/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Oct 2021 12:48:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Josh Reich</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[impact]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[make your life count]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meaning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[philippians 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[purpose]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://joshuareich.org/?p=28308</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[<p>Meaning. Purpose. All of us want our lives to count, but how? Is there a secret formula to it that a few people figure out and others don’t? The truth is, while all of us want our lives to make an impact, only a few of us actually live lives that we would say make [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2021/10/25/how-to-make-your-life-count/">How to Make Your Life Count</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://joshuareich.org/2021/10/25/how-to-make-your-life-count/"></a><p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/danica-tanjutco-N7CzWylkOhA-unsplash-scaled.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-28317 aligncenter" src="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/danica-tanjutco-N7CzWylkOhA-unsplash.jpg?resize=620%2C465&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="620" height="465" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meaning.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Purpose.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All of us want our lives to count, but how? Is there a secret formula to it that a few people figure out and others don’t?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The truth is, while all of us want our lives to make an impact, only a few of us actually live lives that we would say make an impact. Instead, we just see people who are at work, in the neighborhood, and at school.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The people who make their lives count don&#8217;t focus on money, influence, or power. Athough, those things may come as the person makes an impact. No, the people who make an impact focus on one thing: relationships.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Impact is felt and measured in relationships.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
<hr />
<p><em>Impact is felt and measured in relationships.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=Impact+is+felt+and+measured+in+relationships.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2021/10/25/how-to-make-your-life-count/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, how do we live our lives? How do we schedule our lives so that relationships matter to us, and so that our lives count?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the things I&#8217;ve seen as I&#8217;ve preached through the book of Philippians is that while joy and hope are significant themes in the book, relationships are an enormous part of it as well. Paul talks again and again about his love for the Philippian church. But he also spends a lot of time in chapter two talking about &#8220;putting the interests of others first,&#8221; and &#8220;to not think of yourself, but to think of others.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Then in verses 19 &#8211; 30, he tells us about Timothy and Epaphroditus and how they exhibit these qualities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They put others first by genuinely caring, putting the things of Jesus first, and being trustworthy (men of character).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we think about our lives and relationships, there are three important and timely things in our culture.</span></p>
<p><b>Do you genuinely care for people? </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the things that Pual tells us about Timothy is that he </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">genuinely </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">cares for others (2:20), not just cares, but genuinely.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Would the people closest to you say you genuinely care for them? Are you showing interest in who they are, their story, what they are walking through, and how they see the world the way they do?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Or, are you only interested in what people can do for you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We show care by being there for people, listening to them, watching out for them, serving them, and protecting them as the situation calls for it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Timothy and Epaphroditus put their lives on the line to be with Paul in prison, to be with him in a low point of his life, and to put their lives in danger.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This leads to the next question.</span></p>
<p><b>Do you put the things of Jesus first? </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is living your life for a different goal.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you&#8217;ve made it this far and want to see your life count through relationships, then you are on your way to living your life for a different set of goals and values.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The values of our culture point to notoriety, importance, influence, money, and power. While none of those things are wrong or sinful, they don&#8217;t lead to a lasting impact. Those things make an impact, but not a lasting one.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A simple exercise for this week is to read Matthew 5 &#8211; 7, and see where your life lines up with this. Because we aren&#8217;t perfect, there should be a part of those passages that do not line up with your life.</span></p>
<p><b>Are you trustworthy? </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another thing to think about is this: are you a person of character? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both Timothy and Epaphroditus were men of character. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People of character are missing in our culture. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Men and women who will lead through serving can be trusted. They are the ones who will put others before themselves, and who are the same no matter who is around. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That is trustworthy. And trustworthiness is built over a lifetime, but can be lost in a moment. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
<hr />
<p><em>3 questions to ask yourself so you can make an impact with your life.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=3+questions+to+ask+yourself+so+you+can+make+an+impact+with+your+life.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2021/10/25/how-to-make-your-life-count/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How are you doing?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You probably know already, but if you want to be brave, I&#8217;d encourage you to ask these questions of those closest to you and see what blind spots you might have. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our world, workplaces, schools, homes, and friendships need people of consequence, people who will make an impact with their lives. We don’t need people who flame out after their 11 minutes of fame, but ones who make real and lasting impact. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And we long for that as well. </span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2021/10/25/how-to-make-your-life-count/">How to Make Your Life Count</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">28308</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>How to Create Boundaries in Unhealthy Relationships</title>
		<link>https://joshuareich.org/2020/01/14/boundaries-relationships/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=boundaries-relationships</link>
		<comments>https://joshuareich.org/2020/01/14/boundaries-relationships/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jan 2020 11:11:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Josh Reich</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boundaries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unhealthy relationships]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://joshuareich.org/?p=27538</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[<p>Every relationship we have, the goal is to have a healthy one. But sometimes, we end up in unhealthy relationships. Some people are easy to love. They are easy to get along with and have a relationship with while others are not. Some people in our lives bring us life. And others that drain us. [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2020/01/14/boundaries-relationships/">How to Create Boundaries in Unhealthy Relationships</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://joshuareich.org/2020/01/14/boundaries-relationships/"></a><p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/joshua-ness-bEZ_OfWu3Y-unsplash-scaled.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-27543 aligncenter" src="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/joshua-ness-bEZ_OfWu3Y-unsplash.jpg?resize=760%2C507&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="760" height="507" /></a></p>
<p>Every relationship we have, the goal is to have a healthy one. But sometimes, we end up in unhealthy relationships.</p>
<p>Some people are easy to love. They are easy to get along with and have a relationship with while others are not.</p>
<p>Some people in our lives bring us life. And others that drain us.</p>
<p>But at some point, we all encounter someone who is emotionally unhealthy or merely immature. This person might look to you to give them something you can&#8217;t give them or don&#8217;t want to provide them within a relationship. They might want more time and attention than you can afford. They might want more energy or proximity to you than you can give them.</p>
<p>This doesn&#8217;t make this person terrible, but many people struggle on how to have boundaries with this person. Especially if you are related to them.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>How to keep boundaries with needy people.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=How+to+keep+boundaries+with+needy+people.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2020/01/14/boundaries-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p>So how do you create boundaries in unhealthy relationships or with unhealthy people?</p>
<p><strong>Listen. </strong>You need to know how best to help someone move from unhealth to health, and that comes through listening.</p>
<p>Too often, at least this is true for me, it is easy for me to brush people aside. But one of the best ways to move a relationship from an unhealthy place to a good place is knowing what needs to be done, and that comes through listening.</p>
<p>Many times, I have assumed someone, their story or situation, or even the day they are having, and that assumption hurt the relationship. The truth is, you don&#8217;t know what the other person is going through, what they are experiencing, or the day they had.</p>
<p>Listening creates empathy, which can lead to understanding.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>Hope for unhealthy relationships.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=Hope+for+unhealthy+relationships.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2020/01/14/boundaries-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Provide feedback. </strong>In listening, we gain the right to be heard by someone.</p>
<p>Most people don&#8217;t know how they come across. Or what it is like to be in a relationship with them. We don&#8217;t see the impact of our words or presence on other people. When we hurt someone, we are usually the last ones to find out.</p>
<p>This is why feedback is so valuable. Asking things like, what is it like to be on the other side of me? How did I come across in that meeting? Questions like this are crucial to be in a healthy relationship.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re in an unhealthy relationship, you need to have the courage to give feedback to the other person. What they do with that information is up to them, but if you don&#8217;t, you don&#8217;t give the relationship a chance.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>How to love extra grace required people.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=How+to+love+extra+grace+required+people.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2020/01/14/boundaries-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Help as much as you can. </strong>When you encounter an unhealthy person or an emotionally immature person, you want to help as much as you can. But you also need to know what your limit is. This is important; the boundary you set will be different than the boundary they want.</p>
<p>And that&#8217;s okay.</p>
<p>You aren&#8217;t responsible for how they respond or what they do. But you are responsible for your heart, your health, and not letting them pull you into things.</p>
<p>A healthy person can set boundaries and keep them. Unhealthy people can&#8217;t.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>A healthy person can set boundaries and keep them. Unhealthy people can&#8217;t.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=A+healthy+person+can+set+boundaries+and+keep+them.+Unhealthy+people+can%27t.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2020/01/14/boundaries-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p>This changes with the season in life. There are times that you have more emotional and relational energy for people and seasons when you have less. You have to be aware of this in your own life.</p>
<p><strong>Tell them when they’ve passed a boundary. </strong>If you have set a boundary with someone and they cross it or ask for something you can&#8217;t give, tell them.</p>
<p>In relationships, this can be incredibly <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2018/02/28/how-to-love-difficult-to-love-people/">difficult and uncomfortable</a>, especially if <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2016/10/24/forgiveness-letting-go-dealing-with-hurt-in-relationships/">that person has hurt you</a> or caused deep pain. Many times we&#8217;d rather pretend that nothing happened, that everything is okay instead of drawing attention to an issue.</p>
<p>But if we don&#8217;t, it will only continue to fester in us and the relationship.</p>
<p><strong>Know you can’t save them. </strong>One of the hardest parts of a relationship with an unhealthy person is knowing that you can&#8217;t change them. You can&#8217;t save them. You can help them, love them, be there for them, but as <a href="https://joshuareich.org/books/19-powerful-quotes-from-its-not-supposed-to-be-this-way-finding-unexpected-strength-when-disappointments-leave-you-shattered/">Lysa TerKuest says, &#8220;You have to let the other person walk down the other side of the road.&#8221;</a></p>
<hr />
<p><em>You have to let the other person walk down the other side of the road. -@LysaTerKeurst</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=You+have+to+let+the+other+person+walk+down+the+other+side+of+the+road.+-%40LysaTerKeurst&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2020/01/14/boundaries-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2020/01/14/boundaries-relationships/">How to Create Boundaries in Unhealthy Relationships</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">27538</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Links for Leaders 11/16/18</title>
		<link>https://joshuareich.org/2018/11/16/links-for-leaders-11-16-18/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=links-for-leaders-11-16-18</link>
		<comments>https://joshuareich.org/2018/11/16/links-for-leaders-11-16-18/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Nov 2018 11:46:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joshua Reich</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Misc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adopttion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brian dodd]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas eve services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[craig groeshel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[God in the dark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grieving losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leaders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leadership books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parent cue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reading list]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Birch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thanksgiving]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://joshuareich.org/?p=27035</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[<p>It’s the weekend…finally. And since it’s the weekend, it’s the perfect time to catch up on some reading. Below, you’ll find some articles I came across this week that I found helpful as a leader and parent and hope you do as well. Recently, God has been teaching me a lot about grieving losses in [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2018/11/16/links-for-leaders-11-16-18/">Links for Leaders 11/16/18</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://joshuareich.org/2018/11/16/links-for-leaders-11-16-18/"></a><p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/StockSnap_DWLWL9USBG.jpg?ssl=1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25655" src="https://i2.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/StockSnap_DWLWL9USBG.jpg?resize=621%2C413&amp;ssl=1" alt="" width="621" height="413" /></a></p>
<p class="first-child">It’s the weekend…finally.</p>
<p class="first-child">And since it’s the weekend, it’s the perfect time to catch up on some reading. Below, you’ll find some articles I came across this week that I found helpful as a leader and parent and hope you do as well.</p>
<p>Recently, God has been teaching me a lot about <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2018/09/17/grieving-losses-in-life-leadership/">grieving losses in life and leadership</a>. All of us have experienced loss and come up against the limits in life, whether in a relationship, a dream, finances, health, but how we deal with them and move forward determines so much for us. Many of us get stuck. Recently, I came across <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BqKsfnRjv7v/">a great quote that helped me understand this even more and what it takes to move forward</a>.</p>
<p>Before diving into those, in case you missed them this week. Here are the top 3 posts on my blog this week that I hope you find helpful:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2017/08/14/spouse-different-page/" rel="noopener">When You and Your Spouse aren’t on the Same Page</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2018/11/12/when-to-quit-something-or-let-it-ride/" rel="noopener">When to Quit Something or Let it Ride</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2017/11/27/8-ideas-make-christmas-eve-service-memorable/" rel="noopener">8 Ideas to Make Your Christmas Eve Service Memorable</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Now, here&#8217;s what I found helpful:</p>
<p>Christmas is almost here, and I hope you are preparing for it as a church. Tony Morgan&#8217;s company has helped a lot of churches, and they have two posts you should read: <a href="https://theunstuckgroup.com/2018/10/christmas-service-planning/">3 strategies to leverage Christmas for reaching new people</a> and <a href="https://theunstuckgroup.com/2018/11/3-next-step-ideas-for-the-annual-christmas-attendees/">three next step ideas for annual Christmas attendees</a>. Don&#8217;t miss the opportunity of Christmas!</p>
<p>We&#8217;ve adopted twice, and adoption is beautiful, challenging, amazing and tragic all at once. Many times, you feel like you are fighting for the heart of your adopted child (or any child for that matter). <a href="https://theparentcue.org/fighting-for-the-heart-of-our-adopted-son/">This post from parent cue</a> was so encouraging to me, and if you&#8217;re a parent (adoptive or not), I think it will encourage you.</p>
<p>I get asked a lot about the books I read and how I find good books. One way is to see what other leaders I respect are learning. Brian Dodd is always posting great books, and he lays out <a href="https://briandoddonleadership.com/2018/11/05/the-top-19-books-christian-leaders-need-to-read-in-2019/">19 books leaders should read ing 2019</a>. I&#8217;ve read a few of these but look forward to diving into a few others on this list.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re a pastor or been in church for any length of time, you know the drill at church, so it is easy to forget what it feels like to be a guest. The emotions a guest has the fears, the thoughts. <a href="https://unseminary.com/5-emotions-first-time-guests-feel-when-they-arrive-at-your-church/">This post from Rich Birch was so helpful to me, and a great reminder of what people feel when they walk into your church on a Sunday morning</a>.</p>
<p>The holidays are almost here (I can&#8217;t believe that Thanksgiving is next week!), so it is important to decide as a family, individual, couple, what pace you will keep over the next month so that you aren&#8217;t too tired. <a href="https://theparentcue.org/moving-beyond-the-holi-daze-10-tips-to-prepare-for-the-holidays/">Here are 10 great tips from parent cue</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2018/11/16/links-for-leaders-11-16-18/">Links for Leaders 11/16/18</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">27035</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>How to Love Difficult to Love People</title>
		<link>https://joshuareich.org/2018/02/28/how-to-love-difficult-to-love-people/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=how-to-love-difficult-to-love-people</link>
		<comments>https://joshuareich.org/2018/02/28/how-to-love-difficult-to-love-people/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 2018 09:36:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joshua Reich</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[matthew 5]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sermon on the mount]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://joshuareich.org/?p=26487</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[<p>Have you noticed that there are people in the world that are hard to love? I know. Surprising isn&#8217;t it! People disappoint us on a daily basis. The people closest to us will often give us the deepest and most painful scars. You disappoint people. You will give the deepest and most painful scars to [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2018/02/28/how-to-love-difficult-to-love-people/">How to Love Difficult to Love People</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://joshuareich.org/2018/02/28/how-to-love-difficult-to-love-people/"></a><p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/kelly-sikkema-530092.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26499" src="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/kelly-sikkema-530092.jpg?resize=616%2C411&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="616" height="411" /></a></p>
<p>Have you noticed that there are people in the world that are hard to love?</p>
<p>I know. Surprising isn&#8217;t it!</p>
<p>People disappoint us on a daily basis.</p>
<p>The people closest to us will often give us the deepest and most painful scars.</p>
<p>You disappoint people.</p>
<p>You will give the deepest and most painful scars to those closest to you.</p>
<p>For most people, we look past it, shrug and keep moving.</p>
<p>Yet, there is so much more to be had in relationships.</p>
<p>In Matthew 5:44 Jesus makes a startling statement, to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.</p>
<p>What&#8217;s telling about this verse is, first, we will have enemies. We will have people who persecute us.</p>
<p>As I thought about this verse this past week, I was blown away by how often I&#8217;m surprised by this. We all are. But in reading Matthew 5, it seems like we shouldn&#8217;t be surprised by it.</p>
<p>Jesus doesn&#8217;t tell us why we will have enemies or persecution, only that we will and what to do when it happens.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>Don&#8217;t be surprised when you have enemies.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=Don%27t+be+surprised+when+you+have+enemies.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2018/02/28/how-to-love-difficult-to-love-people/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p>Now, some enemies come along because we make them and do something to hurt someone else. Some enemies come because of sin and evil in the heart of another.</p>
<p>What do we do with enemies? What do we do with people who hurt us? Make life difficult?</p>
<p>We pray for them.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>Are you praying for the people in your life who are difficult to love?</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=Are+you+praying+for+the+people+in+your+life+who+are+difficult+to+love%3F&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2018/02/28/how-to-love-difficult-to-love-people/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p>Notice that prayer and love are connected, so you get the idea that Jesus isn&#8217;t talking about calling down the wrath of God or thunderbolts, but praying as you would for someone you loved. Which means you&#8217;d pray for their good, their blessing.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s stop here.</p>
<p>This is often the last thing we want to do.</p>
<p>This is hard and painful.</p>
<p>Why do this?</p>
<p>Jesus tells us so we can reflect the Father.</p>
<p>Have you ever wondered, <em>What is it like to be on the other side of me?</em></p>
<hr />
<p><em>What is it like to be on the other side of me?</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=What+is+it+like+to+be+on+the+other+side+of+me%3F&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2018/02/28/how-to-love-difficult-to-love-people/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p>If you&#8217;re a follower of Jesus, the answer to that question should be, “It&#8217;s like being with God the Father.”</p>
<p>Can you picture the relationship that is the hardest for you? The person who is hardest to love?</p>
<p>Every relationship has a tough season and hard times, and sometimes those go on for a while. Things irritate us and hurt us — words, silence, and looks, distance.</p>
<p>Every relationship book will tell you the same thing, the way we keep intimacy in a relationship is what happens once something is broken, the next move.</p>
<p>What does Jesus tell us in Matthew 5?</p>
<p>Love, go the extra mile, do the unexpected, allow that friend to take advantage of your generosity.</p>
<p>What is amazing about all of this is that it is unexpected, but it is also something you decided ahead of time. They didn’t do it, you did. You chose it.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2018/02/28/how-to-love-difficult-to-love-people/">How to Love Difficult to Love People</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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				<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">26487</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Successful Mentoring Relationships</title>
		<link>https://joshuareich.org/2017/07/26/successful-mentoring-relationships/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=successful-mentoring-relationships</link>
		<comments>https://joshuareich.org/2017/07/26/successful-mentoring-relationships/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Jul 2017 19:19:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joshua Reich</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[.dwg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[16th century]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Allan Donald]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apple Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arab television drama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mentoring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new testament]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United Kingdom]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://joshuareich.org/?p=25948</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[<p>Since Revolution Church is filled with people in college and their 20&#8217;s, and because we&#8217;re part of Acts 29, I and the other leaders at Revolution will often get requests to mentor someone, either in our church or a church planter or worship leader. There is also a big desire that many people have to [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2017/07/26/successful-mentoring-relationships/">Successful Mentoring Relationships</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://joshuareich.org/2017/07/26/successful-mentoring-relationships/"></a><p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25950" src="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988.jpg?resize=616%2C411&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="616" height="411" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?resize=518%2C345&amp;ssl=1 518w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?resize=250%2C166&amp;ssl=1 250w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?resize=82%2C55&amp;ssl=1 82w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/alexis-brown-82988-scaled.jpg?w=2280&amp;ssl=1 2280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" /></a></p>
<p>Since <a href="http://www.tucsonrevolution.com/">Revolution Church</a> is filled with people in college and their 20&#8217;s, and because we&#8217;re part of Acts 29, I and the other leaders at Revolution will often get requests to mentor someone, either in our church or a church planter or worship leader.</p>
<p>There is also a big desire that many people have to be discipled and mentored. The New Testament, particularly Titus 2:1 &#8211; 8, shows how to do this.</p>
<p>The amazing thing in Titus is that the relationships it describes have a few realities:</p>
<ol>
<li>They are intentional, but organic.</li>
<li>They are relational.</li>
<li>Growth happens through conversations, not necessarily a curriculum.</li>
</ol>
<p>Paul tells Titus that in mentor relationships, in inter-generational relationships, they happen through proximity. The older are to teach the younger, but the only way for that to happen is for them to be together, not in life stage groups where they never mingle. In this environment, a younger person can find an older person they want to learn from.</p>
<p>Paul tells Timothy what they are to teach, but that teaching means ordinary conversations, not simply standing on a stage, teaching a class. Everyday, ordinary conversations.</p>
<p>What do they teach? What is amazing to me is that Paul says they&#8217;ll need to learn the following things. The things they&#8217;ll learn are things that won&#8217;t come naturally, or else we&#8217;d already know them.</p>
<p>This has caused me to think through what makes an effective mentor. They are important, but I think we often set ourselves and the person we are seeking help from up for disaster.</p>
<p><strong>A mentor is someone further ahead of you in an area you want to grow in. </strong></p>
<p>No one person can mentor you in every part of your life.</p>
<p>This is the problem we run into. We look for someone to be the end all, be all for us.</p>
<p>When someone asks for a mentor, I explain this to them and then ask a series of questions:</p>
<hr />
<p><em>How to find a mentor</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=How+to+find+a+mentor&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2017/07/26/successful-mentoring-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p><strong>What </strong><strong>are one or two areas you want to grow in as you think about your life in the next 3, 6, 12 months?</strong> This could be finances, prayer, marriage, boundaries, health, etc.</p>
<p><strong>Why do you think I can help you?</strong> I want to know why they think I can help them. Not because I want to pump up my ego, but I want to know they&#8217;ve done their homework on me and didn’t just throw a dart at the wall and pick the closest person.</p>
<p><strong>What are you doing</strong><strong>, or have you tried to grow in this area? </strong>Often, not always, but often people seek a mentor because they are lazy. I want to know what books or blogs this person has looked at in this area. Are they actively seeking to grow in this area or just hoping to rub off success from someone? Which leads to the last part.</p>
<p><strong>How much time are you willing to put into this? </strong>Anything worth doing will take time. You won&#8217;t grow in your handling of finances, health, marriage, career, preaching, etc., without putting in time and effort. This is a commitment you as the person getting mentored are making. The mentor is coming along for the ride, and if I as the mentor am not convinced you are into the ride, I&#8217;m getting off.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>4 things to keep in mind when you look for a mentor.</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/share?text=4+things+to+keep+in+mind+when+you+look+for+a+mentor.&#038;via=joshuareich&#038;related=joshuareich&#038;url=https://joshuareich.org/2017/07/26/successful-mentoring-relationships/' target='_blank'>Click To Tweet</a></p>
<hr />
<p>If you are worth your salt as a leader, person or pastor, you will be asked often to mentor people. You must be selective about who you mentor, because you are giving up one of your most precious commodities, your time. If you are asking to be mentored, to succeed and have it be worthwhile for you, you need to do your homework and be willing to put in the work. There is nothing more exciting than working with a person who wants to grow in an area and helping them do that.</p>
<p>We can&#8217;t become the person we are to become without relationships with older, more mature people in our lives.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2017/07/26/successful-mentoring-relationships/">Successful Mentoring Relationships</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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		<title>In Honor of Valentine&#8217;s Day</title>
		<link>https://joshuareich.org/2016/02/12/in-honor-of-valentines-day/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=in-honor-of-valentines-day</link>
		<comments>https://joshuareich.org/2016/02/12/in-honor-of-valentines-day/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Feb 2016 09:17:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joshua Reich</dc:creator>
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				<description><![CDATA[<p>In honor of Valentine&#8217;s Day, I thought I&#8217;d share the top 10 marriage and relationship posts that Katie and I have written over the years. Thanks for learning and growing with us over the years. Bookmark this page to use as a resource you can come back to. Katie and I hope this helps take [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2016/02/12/in-honor-of-valentines-day/">In Honor of Valentine&#8217;s Day</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://joshuareich.org/2016/02/12/in-honor-of-valentines-day/"></a><p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?ssl=1" rel="attachment wp-att-23545"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-23545" src="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?resize=631%2C421&#038;ssl=1" alt="love, valentine's day" width="631" height="421" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?resize=518%2C345&amp;ssl=1 518w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?resize=250%2C166&amp;ssl=1 250w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?resize=82%2C55&amp;ssl=1 82w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?w=1520&amp;ssl=1 1520w, https://i0.wp.com/joshuareich.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PKNFYSTO4E.jpg?w=2280&amp;ssl=1 2280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 631px) 100vw, 631px" /></a></p>
<p>In honor of Valentine&#8217;s Day, I thought I&#8217;d share the top 10 marriage and relationship posts that Katie and I have written over the years. Thanks for learning and growing with us over the years. Bookmark this page to use as a resource you can come back to. Katie and I hope this helps take your marriage to the next level.</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2015/03/04/lies-we-believe-about-marriage/" target="_blank">Lies Couples Believe About Marriage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2014/02/26/11-ways-to-know-youve-settled-for-a-mediocre-marriage/" target="_blank">11 Ways to Know You’ve Settled for a Mediocre Marriage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2015/04/06/questions-you-should-ask-your-spouse-regularly/" target="_blank">10 Questions You Should Ask Your Spouse Regularly</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2015/05/26/18-things-every-husband-should-about-his-wife/" target="_blank">18 Things Every Husband Should Know about His Wife</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2014/02/20/theone-thing-destroying-your-marriage/" target="_blank">The One Thing Destroying Your Marriage That You Don’t Realize</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2012/11/14/10-ways-to-know-if-youre-putting-your-kids-before-your-spouse/" target="_blank">10 Ways to Know if You’re Putting Your Kids Before Your Spouse</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2014/03/05/when-you-manipulate-your-husband-you-lose-him/" target="_blank">When You Manipulate Your Husband, You Lose Him</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2014/02/04/7-reasons-you-arent-communicating-with-your-spouse/" target="_blank">7 Reasons You Aren’t Communicating with your Spouse</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2014/03/24/surviving-a-hard-season-in-your-marriage/" target="_blank">Surviving a Hard Season in Your Marriage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://joshuareich.org/2015/05/11/when-you-arent-in-the-mood-for-sex/" target="_blank">When You Aren’t in the Mood for Sex</a></li>
</ol>
<p>Happy Valentine&#8217;s Day!</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://joshuareich.org/2016/02/12/in-honor-of-valentines-day/">In Honor of Valentine&#8217;s Day</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joshuareich.org">JoshuaReich.org</a>.</p>
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