Ask Your Preacher - Archives
“Subtracting A Negative”
Categories: FRIENDS, RELATIONSHIPS, WITH MANKINDHow do you think negative people can affect your life, and what should you do if someone you care about has become very negative?Sincerely,
The Glass Is Half Full
Dear The Glass Is Half Full,
Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Cor 15:33). Depending on the intensity of someone’s bad attitude or behavior, you may need to distance yourself. Christians are constantly trying to strike the balance between being lights to the world (Matt 5:14) and keeping themselves pure and undefiled from the world’s influences (Jas 1:27). As long as we live on this planet, we will have trials (Jhn 16:33). It is a precarious balancing act between being an influence and being corrupted by the world. There is no exact answer to your problem; you must apply these principles yourself. If you can influence this person for good, then do so. If they are corrupting you and keeping you from being the best christian you can be, begin to distance yourself. You may even deem it appropriate to tell the person why you are distancing yourself. Maybe, just maybe, they will change if they are made aware of what their choices are costing them.
