Toxic People

Your best defense against the harm of toxic people is to be like David [King David of the Bible] and have a clear set of values that you live out with all people.

[When you do this] One of three things will happen:

1. The people who are good for you will respect your values, and you will enjoy good relationships with them.
2. As you take a loving stand against toxicity, you will influence some toxic people to change their behavior, and then you will enjoy good relationships with those people,
3. Some toxic people will remain in denial and move away from the light that you are living out despite your loving confrontation of their behavior. Your relationship with those people might even end, in extreme cases.

 (Cloud and Townsend, God Will Make A Way, p. 156)
1 February 2014