People can be poison

Poisonous People

Have you ever heard the phrase “people can be poison”? It is more common than you may imagine

As I look back at my life, I can see a pattern that I do not like!

Until I met my wife it was easy for me to meet people and have friends.

But after we married, we began our journey together…and things changed.

We have been married for nearly 37 years and we have become “as one”.

What do I mean “as one”?

What affects one of us affects both of us…

you see we are in our mental health practice together and are rarely apart from one another.

We have learned early on that we needed to be careful who we associated with.

We have learned that people can slow us down, affect the practice etc.

When you are “as one” it is necessary to consider the other person when one makes a decision.

Choosing people to associate with can be challenging.

People can be poison if a person/couple lets them get too close. Why?

Consider a person’s belief system.

If they do not share your growth in The Lord, then they will hold you back.

Without even realizing what they are doing they can sabotage your relationship.

Jesus and Paul spoke about this very subject.

Let us look at what Jesus said in Mark 8:23-26

 

²³ Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” ²⁴ And he ^[o]looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.”

²⁵ Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.

²⁶ And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Did you catch what Jesus did and said to the blind man that he just healed?

First, he brought him out of the village he healed him.

That village had people in it, and I can guarantee that the unbelief was so strong that Jesus could not heal the man there.

Then after he healed the man, he sent him to his home saying “Do not even enter the village” 
Now lets read what Paul said about this subject.
1 Corinthians 15: ³³ Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

A person or couple may have excellent morals, but constant exposure can weaken them.
Survey the damage that the wrong people can inflict.
If you are honest you will probably have to admit that you have al least one person or couple that you need to cut ties with.

So why is it so hard? Because toxic people are addictive (more about this in my next blog “Toxic people are addictive”)

Did you read what Paul states about the damage that bad company can inflict?

My wife and I have learned the hard way that it is better to have a very tight circle of friends than having too many people surrounding us.

Even thought we have powerful morals we know what close association can do.
Struggles in marriages caused by the wrong people.
If a person or a couple finds themselves struggling in a relationship or a marriage…

One of the first things that I look for is the people that they associate with.

It may not be easy to distance one’s self from a person or couple that they have been friends with for a long time.

A younger person or couple needs the first few years to be free from people that do not represent their values because they are still being formed.

I have worked with couples that had the right church, upbringing, and families that still struggled because of the company that they kept.
How do I fix all of this?
It may be easier than you think!

The first step is learning about your Temperament and how it affects how you chose your friends.

The Therapists at Fort Worth Christian Counseling can teach you exactly how God “created” you to be…

This will assist you in learning how to choose people and so much more.

Contact us and let the journey begin