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PROGRAM D-8319

For almost 35 years, I’ve been sharing by way of this radio program the privilege and importance you have as a Christian in the marketplace to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven,” as Jesus told us in Matthew 5:16. In all those years, the one issue that surfaces most frequently in every kind of work environment is related to dealing with people. As Charlie Brown said, “I love mankind; it’s people I can’t stand!” So, I’m taking a look at the topic of dealing with people who are particularly toxic, spreading their poison where you work.

I have mentioned that you must intentionally purpose not to let these toxic people occupy any more of your thought life than absolutely necessary. Here’s another practical suggestion:

Distance yourself from them as much as possible.   

You’ve heard a lot about setting boundaries, I’m sure. The Bible teaches us to set boundaries. For example, these two passages from Proverbs:

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. (Proverbs 4:14-15)

The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. (Proverbs 16:17)

And Philippians 4:7 tells us that the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. You must be wise about distancing yourself from people who would fill your mind with evil and try to bring you down emotionally. You may not be able to distance yourself from a toxic person physically, if they are a coworker, but you can learn to distance yourself mentally and emotionally. Pray each day that God will protect your mind and teach you how to literally tune them out when you can. If you can wear headphones where you work, you could use that as a buffer between you and that toxic person. Even if you don’t listen to anything on your earphones, just wearing them creates some distance.

You have two options: You can gripe and complain about them, letting them bring you down to their level, or you can determine that by God’s grace, you will take whatever steps are necessary to respond appropriately and in Christ-like ways to toxic, difficult people. Let me also remind you of the first two things I said earlier: God loves them as much as he loves you, and no one is in your life by accident.