Negative people are all around us.
The human condition, being desirous of evil (sinful) by nature tries to make us all only speak about our sins.
This way we are not in the right frame of heart to do God’s Will.
In our Christian walk we want to be loving to them as much as the next person, however, we can get overwhelmed when a person is only focused on the negative and not the positive. We become filled with their negatives and, because they only focus on those, we can feel drawn into their “drama”.
This is spiritual warfare.
They are constantly traveling in a dark place with no light to promote happiness in their lives.
Understand you cannot change another person permanently. You may change them in the moment, but they have to have the tools and desire to create the discipline to make that change more permanent.
That being said, when you encounter these kinds of people you are either ‘water’ or ‘gasoline’ to their situation.
By listening and not giving feedback, nodding or “un-huh” at their statements, you are enabling their behavior so it is like throwing gasoline on the fire.
“But”, you say, “I don’t really want to tell them to shut up. That’s not very Christian. I know they have negativity and it may be filling their lives so much they just need to get it out.”
You are absolutely right. They need something that will help them understand how to change their perspective, but will abate the tidal wave of negativity constantly coming your way as well.
Let me share something that helps and is a loving approach to your relationship with negative people.
When someone is chronically negative, and that negativity seems to have no end, in the middle of a sentence look at them and say,
“You know it is spiritual, right?”
This will usually stop them with a questioning look on their face. You can repeat the question for effect, which is usually fun.
They will ask something like
“What?” or “What do you mean?”
You can then lovingly show them correction by giving them a quote from the Word of Truth.
“It is spiritual.
In the Bible, Jesus says in John 16:33,
‘I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.’”
That will usually stop them… that time.
The next time they start, give them a minute to rant, then say, “It’s spiritual!”
Eventually they will either stop giving you their negativity, or they will incorporate the verse into their lives.