Keep Your Enemies Closer
You care for someone, but you don't care for their behavior. The old adage "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" has application here. Influence comes with relationship, so move toward them however you can so that your heart and love for them will soften their heart toward what you're saying. Avoid frequent confrontation; that will only push them away. Look, you're not tolerating their poor choices; you're trusting that closeness has more redemptive influence than distant judgment.
Show Notes
About the Host
About the Guest
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You care for someone, but you don't care for their behavior. The old adage "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" has application here. Influence comes with relationship, so move toward them however you can so that your heart and love for them will soften their heart toward what you're saying. Avoid frequent confrontation; that will only push them away. Look, you're not tolerating their poor choices; you're trusting that closeness has more redemptive influence than distant judgment.
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Ron Deal
Ron L. Deal is one of the most widely read and viewed experts on blended families in the country. He is Director of FamilyLife Blended® for FamilyLife®, founder of Smart Stepfamilies™, and the author and Consulting Editor of the Smart Stepfamily Series of books including the bestselling Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages® and Becoming Stepfamily Smart (with Dr. Gary Chapman), The Smart Stepfamily: 7 Steps to a Healthy Family, and Preparing to Blend. Ron is a licensed marriage and family therapist, popular conference speaker, and host of the FamilyLife Blended podcast. He and his wife, Nan, have three sons and live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Learn more at FamilyLife.com/blended.
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When you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, don’t move away-move toward.
Ron: When you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, don’t move away—move toward.
Announcer: For FamilyLife Blended®, here’s Ron Deal.
Ron: What a dilemma: You care for someone, but you don’t care for their behavior. Well, retaining influence is your goal. You can’t do that if you distance yourself which is what most people do. The old adage “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” has some application here. Influence comes with relationship, so move toward them however you can so that your heart and love for them will soften their heart toward what you’re saying.
And avoid frequent confrontation; that will only push them away. Look, you’re not tolerating their poor choices; you’re just trusting that closeness has more redemptive influence than distant judgment. For FamilyLife Blended, I’m Ron Deal.
Announcer: To find out more visit familylifeblended.com.
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