Episode 42: The Codependency Complication with Kelly Needham

Friendship questions are some of the top inquiries we receive at HIMH.

• Is it biblical to have a best friend?
• At what point does a friendship turn codependent?
• What can we do about it?

We cover it with codependency expert, Kelly Needham--someone who loves friendship so much she's writing a book about it. (And if you recognize that last name, it's because she is married to Christian worship artist, Jimmy Needham! A little fact we didn't know until 60 seconds before recording... Our bad.)

We also get real deep into Tinkerbell and the Legend of the Neverbeast talk, as well as play a game called One Day where we answer who we would like to spend one day with (CCM artist (Kelly only has one right answer!), Food Network Star, Disney character, theologian...)

 

//: Highlights:

• "We are called to be dependent on someone, but it's not on each other--it's on Christ." --Kelly Needham
• "Codependency ... is when our emotional sense of well-being becomes tied to another person." --Kelly Needham
• "Over time their friendship became so enmeshed and unhealthy ... something that should have been really good (walking someone through pain and suffering) became its own version of sin and suffering." --Kelly Needham

 

//: Do the Next Thing:

• Check out the Kelly's blog
• Read Messy, Beautiful Friendship by Christine Hoover
• Read When People are Big and God is Small by Ed Welch
• Read Knowing God by J. I. Packer
• For More