Dealing with TOXIC Relationships?

Anyone ever feel as though they are continually facing chaos and turmoil in their personal
relationships?  Do you feel as though your circle of associates are always involved in drama and/or mess, such as back-biting??? Gossiping???

You know that their behavior is not Christ-like, but you have not found the strength to walk away from that friendship…No matter how toxic it is…

Maybe you have not dropped the friendship because you don’t have many people you interact with…
Or maybe you simply feel indebted to that group or individual. Whatever the reasoning may be, I want you to know that it is not healthy for a follower of Christ to surround themselves with toxic relationships!

This past weekend, I was speaking with a close friend of mine about a group of women who appear to be destructive in everything they do. I can recall several events, as of late, in which they have deliberately inflicted chaos, particularly in the planning phase of events.

Any individual attempting to do something Christ-like seems to be a threat and they proceed to attack them through gossiping to anyone who will listen. After observing the women closely, I noted several things about their character, and these observations lead to an epiphany that stirred my spirit.

Character traits that I would use to describe this group of women are as follows:

                              …UNHAPPY…BITTER…ANGRY…SELFISH…JEALOUS…HURT…

The conviction that came to me is that, as women striving to live for Christ in EVERY WAY, we must be very careful about who we align ourselves with. Our job as Christian women is to pray for those who have a bitter root. We can help them from a distance.

TWEET THIS: It's IMPERATIVE that we PROCEED with CAUTION when we start to ALIGN with people with negative views & thoughts.  

Why? For starters, when you allow negative people to invade your space, that peace and joy you've found will suddenly disappear.  Most of the time, negativity brings about confusion, turmoil, and unrest.

If you have all this chaos going on through your associations, how can you have clarity? How can God bless you the way he wants, when you are surrounded by individuals who will allow Satan to lead them?And, let’s be real, if you are really trying to live for God, then you will always be at odds with negativity and chaos, you will never be able to solidify with those character traits!

It is of great importance that we are selective  about who we align ourselves with.

DO NOT allow the things of this world to propel us into alignment with people in which we are UNEQUALLY YOKED.

We are to remain VIGILANT… to WATCH and PRAY…on ALL occasions.

Like the saying goes, "CHECK YOUR CIRCLE!"

God provided us with the Spirit of Discernment to let us know what is of him and what is not. It is our job to utilize this gift.

When we see that individuals are not using their gifts, time and money to edify and glorify the Kingdom of God, it may be time to check your circle. That’s a sign to go before the Lord and seek his wisdom concerning our relationships…

I must say, it is not our duty to judge others, but we can control who invades our space.
We must remain steadfast in our relationship with God! Meaning that we must continue to pray and uplift our sisters because we are called to spread the love of Christ!

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against these things.”~Galations 5:22-23

About the Author: Lauren Ashley is a believer of Jesus Christ; he's her everything! Lauren is just trying to make the best of this life's journey and tread on the path God has created for her! She currently has a blog entitled,"Convicted: Living Life with Daily Convictions." To read more encouraging words from Lauren, visit www.dailyconvictions.blogspot.com.