Monday, October 9, 2023
A World Full of Narcissists Controlled by the Devil
I know of a woman who encounters narcissists on a regular basis. She has noticed over the years that the mindset of the selfish person is so continually on themselves that every decision is based on their desire to be superior to others.
Let's take the example of an encounter she had when she had a perm many years ago before going to a family function. One of the narcissists in the group began laughing at her. She asked what the woman was laughing at and she replied; "your hair looks so funny." This woman prided herself on being an "honest person", when really she was not being honest she was merely being rude.
Let's analyze this encounter a little to understand what really happened. The woman who was pridefully honest wasn't speaking for everyone else in the room, she was only expressing her own opinion about the hair. Because she didn't like the hair she thought it was alright to mock and demean the one who had a new hairstyle.
The thing that was astounding was that no one else in the room chastised her for her rudeness, in fact, they laughed with her. One of them even blurted out the most foolish statement that she had ever heard. The other woman said; "its good to laugh" in validation of the rudeness.
What does that mean, "its good to laugh"? Is it good to laugh at others because we have a different style? Is it good to laugh at a funeral when everyone else is sad? Is it good to laugh when someone is in a car wreck? The statement "its good to laugh" was meant to make the rude woman feel right about her rudeness. Never mind that the offended woman was standing right there in front of them as they mocked her.
There are narcissists who think their opinion is so perfect that they can never validate another person's happiness unless they are measuring up to the narcissist's idea of good. The narcissist's opinion of everything is all that matters to them.
On another occasion the woman who was the family scapegoat enjoyed garage sales and thrift stores, bringing home treasures that she and her husband enjoyed. Her walls were covered in interesting pictures and flower arrangements that were color-coordinated with the rest of her decor and she did it all on a budget.
The narcissist walks into the home and boldly proclaims that there are too many things on the walls as they mock what she has done. It was clear that the family of the narcissist had been discussing the foolishness of his grandparent leaving the narcissist completely at ease mocking his grandmother while she stood right in front of him.
Having been trained by the Holy Spirit to just let the comments go she said nothing realizing then and more evidence came later that she was the butt of many jokes in that family system. The disdain for her was clear from the covertly mean comments and even their silence when grandmother would share something important to her.
By the way, a wise person can tell the difference between a genuine joke and mocking, it's not hard to discern when all the other actions of these people have been rude continually.
Narcissists are all around us but often they can only be discerned by their targets the scapegoats. Others who have never been treated rudely often do not recognize the impolite digs and pokes.
When there is a narcissistic family system there must always be a scapegoat. The one person who thinks for themselves without depending on the approval of all the other members. Those who are confident in what they believe and live it out will always be hated by those who cannot seem to function on their own outside the family cult.
Everything the scapegoat says and does will be seen as foolish merely because it was them who said or did it.
When there is a pattern of ignoring, mocking, dismissing and excluding a particular person we know that a narcissist is involved. The narcissists cannot think on their own without the validation of others, they must fall in line with the other narcissists who are keeping them in bondage to their own oppressive system.
The very reason Jesus Christ was reviled by most people when He was on earth was because He brought conviction of sin, but not only that He brought a solution to it. The people didn't want His solution or His kindness.
Mankind does not like those who love to be kind so it attempts to provoke empathetic loving people to anger to be able to endorse their own hateful character.
"See how you are" is the mantra of the narcissist who provokes others and accuses them when they respond in frustration.
You see, a kind person is not someone who is kind to those they wish to impress. A kind person is always kind to everyone even when no one else is looking. Kindness is their character through and through not just a manipulative trick to bring out when needed.
A kind person does not have an agenda of self, they don't think about themselves very much. The narcissist is always only thinking about themselves in everything all the time. Even their kind acts are done to impress and manipulate others.
Matthew 6:1 "1“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
The first response of a person when in the company of others is what is deep inside the soul.
We can only do kind and loving responses to life automatically if we are kind-hearted people.
Someone who is not kind-hearted can only pretend and eventually will be exposed for what they are on the inside. Discerning Christians can see the phoniness in someone early on because they know what authentic kindness looks like they will recognize the fake kindness almost immediately.
So what is the answer for the scapegoat? It's really quite simple, when we have to be in company with a narcissist we can ignore their rude comments and avoid those people whenever possible.
Once we realize we cannot change them and they are nothing but trouble to us we can remove ourselves in favor of the company of authentic believers who have the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
We are living in a world right now in which kindness is seen as a weakness, self-sacrifice is seen as foolish and rudeness is seen as a strength.
The devil always convinces people of the opposite of what God loves.
Narcissism is the weakness controlled by the devil and Christ-centered hearts are the strength, make no mistake about this. We live in a deeply selfish world we must learn to navigate through it without being triggered by the narcissists in it. We must be controlled by Christ.
Controlled by Christ not triggered by the narcissists, remember this.
2 Corinthians 12:9
"9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast [a]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."
Prophesy in Play as we Watch
We are watching prophesy as it plays out in front of our faces. What an exciting time to be living. I wonder if the prophets who wrote the Bible will be asking us what their prophesies looked like.
They wrote what they didn't understand but the understanding has now been opened and we can see more than the prophets could understand. WOW!!!!
We who are born-again have nothing to fear, rather we can rejoice in God's Word being proven true.
1 Corinthians 13:12
"12 For now we see in a mirror [a]dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known."
The glass is not so dark anymore, everyday it becomes a little more clear.
How to Move Forward in Holiness
We move forward growing in holiness and wisdom in direct proportions to how much we confess to be cleansed. 1 John 1:9-10
Those who refuse to confess remain emotional and spiritual infants and even regress.
Those who have a high opinion of their own goodness will malign the Word of God using it disgracefully and with arrogance to justify their own disobedience.
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."
If you are praying for wisdom and desire to grow in holiness, God will answer that prayer when we confess our sins to Him. That prayer will not be answered for those who refuse to admit the needed changes in their own heart.
Confessing openly is a cleansing experience, those who will not do this remain in a state of insecurity constantly having to justify themselves living in fear they will be discovered for what they are on the inside.
Openly honest people will have nothing to hide, they can be transparent and guilt-free as they admit the need for changes in their own heart.
Matthew 15:19
"19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and slanderous statements."
Those who will not confess will regress deeper and deeper into bitterness, hatred and resentment toward those they have harmed. They cannot progress or be cleansed until they admit what they have done and in a very specific way. Those who confess in generalities are remaining in their pride.
Those who hold past forgiven sins against others are often those who have never confessed their own sins or they would know people who confess become changed and operate differently than they did before. Those who do not change are not confessing.
Those who change are those who have admitted their flaws and sins and are growing.
Everyone who is born again can have this wonderful life guilt-free as they seek Christ for their cleansing in total transparency. Those who will not confess develop false personas they display before others but are in turmoil inside as they live in their guilt every day.
May we all self-reflect to see if we are walking with Christ His Way. Asking God to show us our sin that we might be cleansed from it.
Read Romans 7 on this matter of God's Law that reveals our sin. Do not quench the Holy Spirit by refusing to seek God on this matter.
The Modern Church is a Mess
John 15: 13-14 "12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you.…"
There are those who want us to give up our devotion to Christ in order to advance their own pleasures, this is not the self-sacrifice God describes in His Word.
Most "self-sacrifice" today is done with fan-fair and media attention to promote self, it also is not the self sacrifice God speaks of in His Word.
Matthew 6:1-2 "1“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.…"
Matthew 23:1-32 "23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses.
3 Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them.
4 And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger.
5 And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
6 And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues,
7 and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by the people.
8 But as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters.
9 And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10 And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
11 But the greatest of you shall be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
Eight Woes
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter it yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’
17 You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?
18 And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering that is on it is obligated.’
19 You blind men, which is more important, the offering or the altar that sanctifies the offering?
20 Therefore, the one who swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.
21 And the one who swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells in it.
22 And the one who swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.
26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may also become clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
28 So you too, outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,
30 and you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?'"
Those men who insist on being called "Pastor" or "Priest" or "Father: as their official title are acting no differently from the attitude of the Pharisees.
They are expecting special treatment above others in the gathering of believers as well as believing those in the pews cannot know as much as they know.
These self-righteous ones negate the work of the Holy Spirit by the lack of encouragement for all believers to be led by the Holy Spirit. Everything is done according to the mandates of that "specially educated person" who dominates over others rather than serving them.
Every born-again believer in a Christian gathering has gifts and talents given to them by God. No one is above another.
In the modern gathering, the people who sit in the pews remain stoic and unresponsive while the person up front known as the "pastor" dictates to them. This is the opposite of what God ordered for His church.
We have made lifeless dead spectators out of the people of God by our human rules that only the "pastor" speaks. The word "pastor" has become a title and a position rather than what God meant for it to be, that is a gift and calling without hierarchy status.
Since the church has been off track for so long now it is impossible for most church attendees to wrap their mind around the way God commanded it to be.
Every person participated in the worship around the Lord's supper and every man participated in the teaching.
If you wish to know the order of the meeting when believers come together read 1 Corinthians 14, to see that the only One in authority is the Holy Spirit and the men speak as they are led.
The Holy Spirit does not lead in the gatherings anymore, the men lead and tell the Holy Spirit to bless what they have chosen. I call this arrogance and I also call it out for what it is, that is placing man as the authority above God.
No wonder those who love God with all their heart are leaving the gatherings to remain at home with those who agree with God.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)