We can learn a lot from Rehoboam's foolishness. Not all advice is considered the same. Here are four verses to consider when deciding who should form your inner circle of guidance. In discernment counseling, a therapist will listen to your concerns and those of your partner about the relationship, help you evaluate your goals, and help you make a mutual decision about whether to continue the relationship.
A common piece of advice that is often extremely useful is to focus on improving relationship communication. Honestly, I sometimes struggle to find someone who feels like giving me unbiased relationship advice. According to the advice of many relationship experts, beginning statements with the word you can sound accusatory and blaming and can cause the other person to become defensive, which is generally not a recipe for productive conflict resolution. We all sit in different places on the spectrum, but it's important to know what side of the spectrum the person giving the advice is on, in relation to you.
If you resist change, and someone suggests a change as relationship advice, you're likely to struggle against the change and the advice, and possibly the friend who gives you the advice. People who aren't professionals, such as family and friends, will always give you advice about your relationship if you ask them to. I hear you say that you feel that the relationship is not worth saving, which may be true, but they have children together, so they are going to have a relationship with her for many years, whether romantic or not. If you're concerned that your relationship isn't healthy, you may consider contacting Love is Respect, a national resource that promotes healthy relationships between teens and young adults through education, support and resources. This is very evident in relationships where one or both individuals are facing imminent change and the relationship suffers due to the struggle against the inevitable.
He's gotten to the point where he asks me if I've been in a relationship before him and if I'll be in a relationship in the future. A friend who is more emotionally charged in relationships than physically burdened will give you advice coming from that side of the spectrum. Good relationship advice will vary from person to person, but there are some common topics that may be useful.
