I know I’ve been excerpting Howard Halpern a lot on the topic of dysfunctional relationships. If you need a new voice, check out Paula White’s article, “Walking Away from Toxic Relationships,” by clicking here.

It begins:

When God wants to bless you, how does He do it? He sends people into your life. When the devil wants to destroy you, how does He do it? He sends people!
There are several types of relationships that are liabilities, not assets. If you are going to develop healthy relationships, you first must cut off the unhealthy ones you have developed. How can you tell if a relationship is toxic?
First, there will be constant strife and division. Amos 3:3 asks us, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” A healthy relationship is one in which there is a oneness of goals, purpose, values, and beliefs. God’s Word also says, “Where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:16).