Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
Dealing With Toxic People
“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV).
Many years ago as a college student I took a biology class, and we spent some time learning about toxicology. I remember learning about the toxic threshold, which is the exposure level or dose of an agent above which toxicity or adverse health effects can occur.
I recently listened to a radio show about “toxic” people on a local Christian station. Clearly, exposure to these people is not lethal, but it is very problematic. All of us can be toxic to others at times, and Christians are not immune. Some Christians are particularly prone to being toxic due to arrogance or self-righteousness.
A toxic person is driven by pride and ego. They have a need for control, and their heart is often filled will hate, shame, or other negative emotions. They are not aware of their problem and will become defensive and accusatory if even gently confronted.
As Christians we are all called into ministry through our baptism and our profession of faith in Jesus Christ. In any ministry you will encounter toxic people. I think many of us struggle to deal with these people. As parents we want to model for our children how to live a life of ministry. We want to be helpful but some of these people consume so much of our time and it feels as if our time is wasted because they are not receptive, and there is no progress. I am blessed to minister to anybody in need, and I honestly don’t mind being placed in an uncomfortable position if I detect that I am being productive. In other words, I want to see that even a mustard seed of conviction is present. However, if there is no conviction then counseling will not yield good fruit, and I am not being a good steward of my time.
Time spent in ministry is holy and it is foolish to offer something valuable to someone who is unable to appreciate that value. The Bible speaks to this in Matthew 7:6, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” Our job is to plant seeds, but it is wasteful to endlessly plant on rocky soil when there is so much fertile soil that needs to be sewn. Matthew 7:13-14 expand on the reality that not all will respond to the invitation; “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Ministry must be done in tandem with the Holy Spirit. One of the guests on the radio show said, “without the Spirit we cannot receive God’s blessings.” This comment made my mind wander to “…apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). It also made me ponder on the power of humility. If we keep ourselves humble, we reduce the chances of being toxic to others. We also must realize that we may not be able to significantly help every person that we encounter. Sometimes we have to stop and refer them to someone else and pray that our work with the Spirit did make a small positive impact, and the next person will be able to make more progress.
Prayer: Dear God: Please continue to be with us as we do ministry to glorify you. Give us a sense of discernment to know when our efforts our futile, and it is time to refer to another brother or sister in Christ. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
Grace Upon Grace: An Exploration Of God’s Love And How To Receive It
Grace Upon Grace: An Exploration Of God’s Love And How To Receive It "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:14 ESV). We are created with a deep need to be loved. There are two radically different kinds of love: conditional and unconditional. Conditional love involves bargaining and there are conditions that we must meet in order to receive love from others. Such conditional living is exhausting, involving a treadmill of constant doing in order to earn and maintain love. Unconditional love is radically different, involving a conversion of our motives. The Christian... -
Dealing With Your Own Judas
Dealing With Your Own Judas “but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?’" (Luke 22:48 NIV).Perhaps one of the most memorable stories of the New Testament is the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot. Jesus was also denied three times by Peter. In fact, all the disciples fled for their own safety after Christ was arrested. We know as humans that others will disappoint us and we will surely disappoint them. We also know that as Christian we are called to forgiveness. However, betrayal takes on a whole new meaning when the person that... -
The True Meaning of Salvation
The True Meaning Of Salvation "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12 NIV). I had heard the term salvation for years, but was not entirely clear of its meaning. I have come to understand that salvation is “deliverance from danger or suffering.” To save is to deliver or protect. The word carries the idea of victory, health or preservation. Sometimes, the Bible uses the words “saved” or “salvation” to refer to temporal, physical deliverance -- such as St. Paul’s deliverance from prison...