What does the Bible say about toxic relationships? (2023)

FAQs

What does the Bible say about dealing with toxic people? ›

John 15:13 tells us, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” This friend is Jesus, and He laid down His life for toxic people—and that includes me.

Proverbs 17:9

We will hurt others, and others will hurt us. But if you can forgive a fault, love can be restored. However, dwelling on wrongs and refusing to let them go causes angry division and painful separation. You may have been hurt in your relationships, or you may have been the one to hurt others.

Jesus also demonstrates the need to sometimes “verbally” walk away when dealing with a toxic person, like Herod. Instead of arguing with Herod and trying to justify himself, Jesus remained silent: “[Herod] plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer” (Luke 23:9).

Ultimately staying or leaving a toxic marriage for a Christian persons is between them and God. No one can make that decision for you. The bible does say sin is forgiven for those that ask, and accept Christ as their savior.

Boundaries In The Bible

The Bible talks about boundaries quite often. In Proverbs 25:17 the Bible says, “Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house. Too much of you, and they will hate you.” It is true. If you show up uninvited to your neighbor's house, you will eventually ruin that relationship.

A toxic relationship is one that makes you feel unsupported, misunderstood, demeaned, or attacked. A relationship is toxic when your well-being is threatened in some way—emotionally, psychologically, and even physically.

From then on, the Bible shows a litany of broken and damaged relationships. Brothers turn against brothers, family members lie to each other, daughters sleep with their fathers, mistresses hate their maidservants, husbands fail to protect their wives — and that's just in Genesis!

The person encourages you to disobey God

A clear sign that God is telling you to end a relationship is if that person encourages you to disobey God. Ask yourself: Is this person always asking me to violate God's word in order to gain worldly pleasure?

When should you walk away from toxic? ›

If you feel that you're less true to yourself or feel that this partnership directly impacts your confidence and self-esteem, it may be a sign to walk away. There's instability or intense ups and downs. Toxic relationships are often unstable.

Biblically speaking, spouses don't have the right to simply dissolve an unhappy marriage. God intended that marriage be for a lifetime. Ephesians 5 describes marriage as a metaphor for our relationship with God. He is not capricious in His affections toward us, nor does His love depend on favorable circumstances.

Narcissism is addressed in the Bible in Paul's second pastoral epistle to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:1-7) in the fall of A.D.67. Paul seems to be concerned about the character and behavior of leaders within the church, so he warns Timothy to beware of those who act out of a “self love attitude”.

Constant Conflict – (Ephesians 5:33)

“If your marriage is filled with conflict, don't give up.” This scripture instructs a husband to love his wife as he loves himself and that his wife must respect him. If your marriage is filled with conflict, don't give up.

ESV Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. NIV Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house-- too much of you, and they will hate you. NASB Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor's house, Or he will become weary of you and hate you.

Proverbs 22:3 says that “the prudent see danger and take refuge.” Sometimes physically removing yourself from a situation will help maintain boundaries. You can do this to replenish yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually after you have given to your limit, as Jesus often did.

People with toxic traits know they have them

It's natural to assume someone's bad behavior is a conscious choice. But many people with toxic traits don't realize that their behavior impacts others. You may have toxic traits that you don't know about. Some toxic traits, like absolutism, manifest subtly.

If your friendship has turned aggressive and emotionally abusive, then you should be cutting them off completely without any closure. You can straightaway block them and ignore them, as you don't owe them anything. Just do whatever works to remove yourself from that situation.

What is the root of toxic relationships? ›

The root cause of such toxic behaviors in relationships is a lack of empathy. Refusing to understand each other's feelings, demanding that your partner lives up to your expectations, and making them feel guilty for not doing so is caused by a lack of empathy.

Toxic relationships generally follow three stages: idealizing, devaluing, and discarding. Learn about each of these stages and the impact it has on you.

Psalm 147:3

The Bible says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and heals the brokenhearted. So, not only will God provide comfort as you move on from a past relationship, but He'll actually help you do it. God will help you heal from the wounds caused by the relationship and move forward in life and love.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” The Good News: No matter the source of your heartbreak, God can repair your wounds.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed" (Psalm 34:18).

What are red flags in a relationship? Red flags are warning signs that indicate unhealthy or manipulative behavior. They are not always recognizable at first — which is part of what makes them so dangerous. However, they tend to grow bigger and become more problematic over time.

If you feel like you're playing a part, behaving and responding based on how you think you should rather than authentically, you might want to reassess what's going on. If you're not able to be authentically yourself around your partner, flaws and bad moods and all, it might not be the right relationship for you.

Can God reveal your spouse to you? ›

Can God Reveal Your Spouse To You? The idea that God can reveal your spouse to you is an intriguing one. After all, if He knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11), then it stands to reason that He would be able to show us the right person who we are supposed to marry.

But there is no better time to draw close to God than when you need to heal from something as traumatic as a breakup. Psalm 34:18 tells us that God is close to those who are brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. This is a promise from God because he doesn't want you to feel alone in your suffering.

Let it be six weeks, six months – whatever feels right for you. In that time, give the relationship everything you've got. When that 'one day' comes, be honest and act from a place of strength, self-respect and self-love.

Letting go will likely come with guilt, anger and grief for the family or person you thought you had. They might fight harder for you to stay. They will probably be crueller, more manipulative and more toxic than ever. They will do what they've always done because it has always worked.

Couple's relationship coach in Fairmont, West Virginia, Cheri Timko says other signs that someone doesn't care about you may include if they: don't value mutuality in the relationship. fail to show any interest or curiosity in you or your life. have a different agenda for the relationship than you do.

In fact, the Scriptures are full of teachings instructing us to leave relationships with wicked or evil people, to be separate from them, to shun, outcast, and purge them from our midst. (1 Corinthians 15:33, Proverbs 13:20, Psalm 1:1, Proverbs 6:27, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Corinthians 10:13 – these are just a few).

1. Neglect of Family, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

Proverbs 18:1 – A man who isolates himself seeks his own desires; he rages against all wise judgment.

St. Paul lists this sin – technically called “fornication” among the sins (whether within or outside cohabitation) that can keep a person from reaching heaven (see 1 Corinthians 6:9) Cohabitation works against the heart's deepest desires and greatly increases the chances of a failed marriage.

Marriage is God's design

Finally, living together in a sexually intimate relationship outside of marriage is displeasing to God. Frequently, in the Bible, God speaks to the topic of sexual immorality. “Flee from sexual immorality,” he says through the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 6:18; See also Gal.

What does the Bible say about leaving an unbelieving spouse? ›

For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so.

In the 16^th chapter of Romans, Paul gives warning against those who create dissensions and hindrances within the faith community. He describes such deceivers as ones who use smooth talk and flattery in order to distort truth and manipulate others.

One example of a narcissist comes in the form of a parable told by Jesus in Matthew 18:21-35; a reading that will be heard in many churches this morning! In this parable, a man receives unimaginable grace and yet, he refuses to extend that grace to others.

You will learn to recognize these hallmarks of unhealthy narcissism -- Shamelessness, Magical Thinking, Arrogance, Envy, Entitlement, Exploitation, Bad Boundaries -- and to understand the roles that parenting and culture play in their creation.

Potiphar's wife, in Genesis 39, repeatedly tried to cheat on her husband with poor righteous Joseph, and then in rage at being rejected she had Joseph condemned. Proverbs 7 describes the dangers of the adulterous woman, who attempts to seduce young men, saying, “I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

Most couples wait an average of six years before seeking help. There's an important question you both need to answer if you are facing an ongoing unhappy marriage or divorce. Are you motivated to save your marriage? If so, are you willing to do whatever it takes?

Matthew 5:40-43

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” The Good News: Show kindness even to those who have harmed you.

Matthew 5:43-48

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

In James 3:14 (NLT), he cautions those who wish to be wise, “. . . if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting or lying.”

When God blesses those who hurt you? ›

“Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them” (Romans 12:14, NLT).

First, it's important to understand that you can forgive someone without resuming contact or picking a relationship back up. You can forgive someone even if you know you can never have the same relationship. Depending on the circumstances, you may even need to avoid contact.

It's not known what causes narcissistic personality disorder. The cause is likely complex. Narcissistic personality disorder may be linked to: Environment — parent-child relationships with either too much adoration or too much criticism that don't match the child's actual experiences and achievements.

For hundreds of years disciples of Jesus have spoken of the “three enemies of the soul” – the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Psalm 110 1

The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle.

Matthew 10:36 Amplified Bible (AMP)

and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS [own] HOUSEHOLD [when one believes and another does not].

(7) Jealousy in God is that passionate energy by which he is provoked and stirred and moved to take action against whatever or whoever stands in the way of his enjoyment of what he loves and desires. The intensity of God's anger at threats to this relationship is directly proportionate to the depths of his love.

But jealousy and envy are soul-enemies, and Scripture warns us against them over and over. We're told that jealousy is a fruit of the flesh (Galatians 5:21), an antonym of love (1 Corinthians 13:4), a symptom of pride (1 Timothy 6:4), a catalyst for conflict (James 3:16), and a mark of unbelievers (Romans 1:29).

Philippians 2:3

“Don't do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves.” The Good News: Doing things out of jealousy or selfish reasons only takes us further away from God. A sincere and true heart is the way to go.