Finding Freedom from Toxic People

About this Episode

Episode Summary

When you read the term “toxic people,” who comes to mind? A coworker? A family member? Someone at church? Maybe it’s a group of people who feed off of one another in the worst of ways. What makes someone toxic? What’s the difference between a toxic person and someone who’s broken and needs extra love? How do you know when it’s time to walk away from a toxic person? In this episode, our guest Gary Thomas will be leading us through a discussion of how to recognize and when to walk away from toxic people.

Episode Transcript

Show Notes

“Walking away isn’t always a statement of failure; it’s a statement of strategy.”
If we let toxic people control our thoughts and focus, then we lose sight of the purpose God has for us.
“Here’s my voice, here’s my mission” . . . and don’t let a toxic person distract you from that mission.
Women in their fifties will look back at the toxic people from their twenties and laugh at how insignificant those people have become in their lives.
“Gaslighting is when somebody makes you feel like you’re crazy when you are speaking the truth.”
“When you question your own sanity, they are destroying your foundation.”
“All toxic people are difficult, but not all difficult people are toxic.”
“Toxic people love to act in a toxic manner. Healthy people will occasionally act in a toxic way.”
“Walking away is actually an act of worship.”
“Toxic people often use toxic language. . . . They don’t want you to act like a Christian to please God, they are using your desire to please God as a weapon to control you.”

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Order God Hears Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women
Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women
Order Gary’s book When to Walk Away: Finding Freedom from Toxic People on Amazon
Free eBooklet to Download: When Violence Comes Home: Help for Victims of Spousal Abuse
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About the Guest(s)

Gary Thomas

Gary Thomas is the best-selling author of over 20 books including the topic of today’s show: When to Walk Away: Finding Freedom from Toxic People. Gary serves on the teaching team at Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and has been married to his wife, Lisa, for 25 years. They have three adult children and a granddaughter.

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