5 Things to Remember When Encountering Negative People
It may seem like common sense to try to avoid negative or toxic people. They may be unhappy, insecure, self-centered, etc. and can leave us feeling discouraged and emotionally drained. Sometimes though, they cannot be avoided, and we don’t always know when we’re going to encounter them.
In Luke chapter 10: 1-24 we see Jesus sending out the 72 before Him. He warns them they will be like lambs among wolves and instructs them accordingly.
From these instructions, I’d like to suggest five things to remember as we “go out as sheep among wolves” in our own lives.
1. Pray. If you know you are possibly going to be around someone negative, pray. Pray for wisdom to know what to say and what not to say, whether to engage or avoid them, and most importantly pray for them to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior and to be convicted and freed from their chains that bind.
And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Vs. 2
2. Stand Your Ground. Negative people typically have strong opinions and are happy to control the conversation if possible. Decide ahead of time (or at the time if you have no warning) to have healthy boundaries in place. Remember the Truth - who you are and whose you are. Build yourself up in the Lord. You are a blood bought child of the King of Kings, loved beyond comprehension and you have been invited to and are seated with Christ in Heaven (Eph. 2: 6-7). Nothing they say can change that!
Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. Vs. 5-6
3. Speak the Truth – or Not. If you must engage with this person(s), look at it as a challenge to squeeze as much truth into the conversation as possible - or try to avoid them all together. If you must talk with them, look at it as an opportunity to share Jesus and His teachings, even if it has nothing to do with the conversation. It will usually leave them befuddled and speechless (I have done this and the look on their face is priceless : )). They get to hear about eternal life with Jesus and you may have given a few demons in the room the old one-two punch! Jesus did this when instead of directly answering His skeptics, He said what they needed to hear. A win-win.
Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Vs. 9
4. Shake the Dust from Your Feet. If your conversation felt more like a boxing match and you feel a bit beat up, shake it off as soon as possible. Refuse to acknowledge the lies and negativity spoken (Mark 5:36 NIV 1997). Instead, speak the truth out loud and refuse to accept any false accusations (Is. 54:17). Your worth and value are not dependent on what others think or say of you, only what Jesus thinks and says of you. That is the only opinion that matters even though it can be difficult to believe in the moment!
But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ Vs. 10-11
5. Focus on What is Most Important. Nothing produces more humility and gratitude for our salvation - and compassion for our unsaved brothers and sisters - than realizing what Jesus Christ has done for us. Meditating on Jesus, who He is, who I am and that He saved a wretch like me brings me physically and emotionally to my knees. If it were not for Him, I’d be miserable and negative too! Instead of giving power to the enemy and negativity, it spurs on me to glorify the Lord with love and good works (Heb. 10:24).
“…but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Vs. 20
Will you join me? Jesus sends us out. Let’s pray for the wisdom and power to bless those around us in even less than ideal circumstances.
Your turn. How does the Lord help you handle difficult situations or people?
