It is really true that if you hang around negative people who are in competition with others, you will eventually become like them.
1 Corinthians 15:33 " 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
There have been times in my life that I found myself spending more time combating the negativity that was being thrown at me, that I found myself leaning into it all.
Want to be a person who sees things in truth and loves to be joyful, then be sure to surround yourself with those who practice and love truth.
It is not negative to proclaim something as sin or to point out a problem, it is negative to bring error and contentiousness while resisting truth.
Those who must point out error are not necessarily negative, often they are attempting to fix what is wrong, I'd call that productive and positive.
The negativity comes when others will not cooperate with those who desire a solution to a problem.
These days we live in a world that calls the problem solver the negative person, when it is the one who will not work to repair the problem who is the negative one.
We are not negative for focusing on a problem to fix it, we are problem solvers, the rub is that most people are not problem solvers when it comes to spiritual matters.
If an engineer built a bridge the way some people build their spiritual lives, the bridge would fall down with the first car to drive over it. The bridge builder who does not follow the blueprints carefully is akin to the Christian who refuses to see things in truth.
Refusing to fix problems, false doctrine, relationships and wrong attitudes only leads to destruction, just as lazy engineering leads to a dangerous bridge. We may feel alright until the results of rebellion and laziness creates a disaster that cannot be repaired.
Sadly when a problem is ignored long enough, there is no longer a solution. People become weary of dealing with foolishness, they eventually will walk away to avoid the ugliness they sense will never be any different.
1 Corinthians 3:19
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God For it is written, "He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS";
Jeremiah 10:21
"For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered.
There is a tactic that the narcissist uses to further demean their target, for the purpose of controlling.
Sometimes is it almost comical, that the narcissist is so full of themselves that they believe we are going to agonize over their absence, sometimes there is that, but it does not last if the agony is not relieved.
We agonize in the beginning, but the longer it goes on, the more we are glad they are gone. Why on earth would be want to be with someone who treats us like bovine fecal matter.
Manipulation is a contemptuous mentality in order cause frustration and anger in someone else. If the manipulator can get us to be in a state of turmoil all the time, they will be able to feel superior to us.
When they see that they have had no effect, they will step up their tactics, moving on to triangulation, in which they attempt to gain allies, who will treat us in ways that mock and demean us as the narcissist was doing.
The narcissist is not content to control us, they must work at getting others to do the same. That's why it is valuable to remove ourselves not only from the narcissist but also from their flying monkeys, the ones who do the bidding of the narcissist.
When the "powers that be", during the time of Christ could not intimidate Christ and His apostles to stop preaching truth, they had nothing left to stop them so they killed them. The mental state of hatred manifested itself in the form of actual murder.
There is murder in the heart of a narcissist, hatred is their expression of murder. When they cannot get away with actually murdering us, they will do things to destroy us as a person, even if it means using others to accomplish this task.
Matthew 5:21 "21 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder,’ and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother, will be subject to judgment. "
I hear many things people claim are Biblical that are not. People can convince themselves of what they hear all the time, it's hard to change what is comfortable.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
"21 Test all things; hold fast what is good."
If we are holding fast to what is truth, then we will be letting go of what is not truth.
1 Timothy 2:3-5 "…3 This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,…"
When we have trusted Christ He then become even more than our Savior, He becomes our friend and advocate.
John 15:14-16
"…14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.…"
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
Jesus Christ is the Word, He lives in every believer, there is no greater teacher, no greater provider than Christ.
Psalm 33:6 "6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host."
1 John 1:1-2 "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.…"
John 1
"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
"12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
Do not waste time pining away for those who have rejected you. It is natural to grieve for a time over lost relationships, just as Christ wept over Jerusalem because they rejected Him, but then there is a time for moving on, nurturing and enjoying the relationships you do have that share your joy in the Lord.
We can agonize all day long about those who have contempt for us, while neglecting those relationships that would be sweet and endearing.
How about we leave behind those that hinder our walk with Christ and turn to those who walk on the same path with us.
Proverbs 18:24 "24 A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
A part of accepting God's will is letting go of the relationships that do not look to Christ in all matters.
