Are you looking for bible verses about toxic people or do you ever wonder if there are toxic people the Bible warns about? The Bible has the answer to every challenge life presents at us. If you’re dealing with difficult or toxic people and you’re wondering if there are any negative people in the Bible or if the bible has something to say to you about toxic people. It sure does.
What does the Bible say about negative relationships?
The Bible admonishes us to stay away from toxic people. But that’s not all. We are also expected to guard our hearts and minds carefully to ensure that we’re not toxic people ourselves.
Below are 7 types of toxic people the Bible warns us to avoid. Go through this list to ensure you don’t belong in it and to know who to create boundaries from. You’ll also find bible verses about toxic people below.
Toxic people the Bible warns about
Negative People
As is commonly said, this category of people have a problem for every solution. You must be self aware and conscious enough to recognize a person who is always negative and makes you sad and uncomfortable about everything. People who do not emit the joy and peace that is found in God.
If a person always sees the wrong and the down side of everything people do, they are negative and must be kept at bay.
Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you
People with vile and abrasive tongues
Most times, this category of people hide under the guise of being “real” or “blunt”. “I just love to say it as it is” they say. When in the real sense, they’re actually just people who lack emotional intelligence in communication or possess an unpleasant heart that is communicated through their poisonous tongues.
The effect of associating with this category of people and other toxic people is that not only do you begin to become like them gradually, but they may also be damaging your self esteem and dimming your light.
“Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).”
Ephesians 4:31 AMPC
Read- AFFIRMATIONS FOR GODLY WOMEN
“You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither shall you be afraid of destruction when it comes.”
Job 5:21 AMPC
Hot-tempered people
A person who is unable to control their anger is a person who lacks self-control. It is human to get angry and even to have had moments when you were triggered and reacted but when a person’s life is characterized by quick-temper and frequent outbursts, you are warned to create boundaries around them to protect yourself.
Proverbs 25:28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
The book of Proverbs 22:24 calls them the quick-tempered.
You must be wise in your interactions with such people because, the Bible warns us about them.
Proverbs 22:24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man.
Foolish people.
Are foolish people among the toxic people the Bible warns about? Yes. Not because of anything they do intentionally but because they constantly make wrong decisions and their actions have a known end – destruction.
Proverbs 13:20
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed
One specific category of foolish people the Bible warns about is found in the Book of Psalms. It says:
READ – WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT GOSSIP?
“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.”
Psalms 14:1 NKJV
The Bible calls the person who fails to acknowledge the existence and sovereignty of God a fool.
A man in the company of fools is headed to destruction. A fool has no wise counsel to give and the book of Wisdom discourages us from being in their company.
Proverbs 13:20 in the NLT says you’ll get into trouble associating with them.
Such a negative relationship is not endorsed by God.
Vengeful people
People are vengeful for various reasons. Many of which may be justifiable reasons. Some people have been badly hurt in the past by people they loved or trusted but an unquenchable thirst for vengeance is a very dangerous thing to joke with.
Vengeful people will stop at nothing until they see that the people who hurt them are brought down. If they’re your friends, you may not care because you’re not at the receiving end of their vengefulness at the moment but you are not safe. It may be your turn soon.
The Bible says that vengeance is the Lord’s. A person who always seeks to get their own pound of flesh back is a person that is not surrendered to God.
“not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”
I Peter 3:9 NKJV
“Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.”
Proverbs 20:22 NKJV
Trouble makers.
You really should stay away from people who derive joy in quarreling. People who hate peace.
The Bible encourages us to be peace seeking, thus, we are discouraged from relationships that are not peace-seeking.
You must be careful to stay away from people who aim to cause division amongst friends, families, church and neighbors in different ways for malicious and unreasonable reasons. It could be via gossip and backbiting etc.
Romans 16:17Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Jealous people
Whether they’re jealous and possessive when you make friends, or they’re jealous of your accomplishments and happiness, in whatever form in comes, jealousy can get dangerous and destructive.
Jealous people can be toxic and unhealthy for you.
“For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.”
James 3:16 AMPC
“The rage and anger of others can be overwhelming, but it’s nothing compared to jealousy’s fire.”
Proverbs 27:4 TPT
You may not completely take all of these toxic people mentioned out of your life but you must recognize that they are toxic and pray to God for wisdom to deal with them appropriately and create necessary boundaries.
This list is also helpful for you to recognize some toxic traits that you may possess yourself which may have made you lose important relationships in the past.
Have you had to deal with any of these 9 categories of toxicity in people? We’d love to hear you in the comments.