Those People -- 2
Manipulating People
Examples from the Bible:
Two women manipulated. Herod Mark 6:21-28
Jacob manipulated Esau. Genesis 25:29-34
Delilah manipulated Samson. Judges 16:15-19
Judges 16:15-16
"Then she said to him, 'How can you say, "I love you," when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength.' With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death.'
COMMON TACTICS OF MANIPULATORS
1. Flatery
2. Threats
3. Guilt
A lot of us are giving into these three things. Letting some one else control the strings and making us dance.
BREAKING THE POWER OF MANIPULATION
1. God, help me recognize when someone is trying to manipulate me.
Matthew 16:21-22
"From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 'Never, Lord!' He said. 'This shall never happen to you!' "
Manipulators will pull you aside because they lose their strength in groups.
Some manipulations are good and bad.
Peter has good intentions because he doesn't want Jesus to die. But he is trying to stop Jesus from doing His will.
Other intentions are bad, abuse.
How do you know if you're being manipulated?
1.You often feel guilty and fine it hard to say "no."
2.You compromise your values to please others.
Peer pressure.
Relationship pressure.
Compromising your values to do something you won't do.
You have to be strong enough to fight against the controller.
2. God, empower me to put healthy boundaries in place.
Matthew 16:23
"Jesus turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.' "
If someone else has control of you, your committing the sin of idolatry. Your letting a person be your god.
In your life, you will have to make an important decision that will affect you greatly. Who will you let to make that decision? The manipulator? God?
Do not allow someone else to be in the role of god.
3. God, help me see my own need to control and surrender everything to you.
All of us want to control life. We think that because our lives are great, we worked hard and received success, then we do not need god. We think that we're a better god.
Isaiah 26:3-4
"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock."
Trust in the Lord to make your decisions. Nothing is ours. All we have is God's. When we get to that place then we will have perfect peace. The reason we do not have peace is because we try to control and play god. Pray before God and uphold everything to Him, then peace is yours.
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