Difficult Relationships - Christian Wisdom for Life's Toughest Ties

In this podcast, we talk about the 6 undeniable signs that you are codependent.
Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.
Do you really feel good when others need you? Do you enable someone’s bad behavior in hopes that they’ll repent and change their ways? If you are struggling to have healthy, balanced relationships, where the needs of both people are recognized, you could be struggling with codependency. A codependent relationship will leave you frustrated and unfulfilled and it often reinforces the belief that you’re broken and unworthy. Codependency, in a nutshell, is the need to be needed. Codependency can occur in virtually any relationship dynamic; parents, children spouse, friends, pastor, and even co-workers.
Let’s talk a moment about what codependency is as well as how the traits are displayed. We will also have some solutions for how you can move forward.

1. You are overly concerned about what the other person is doing, thinking, and feeling. Often displayed as caring, this codependent trade leads you to believe that if you don’t take care of this person, something bad is going to happen to either you or them as a result of their behavior. Scripture tells us that each should carry his own load. You can find that in Galatians 6:5. So, it is biblical to allow others to make choices and mistakes. God certainly does it for us.
2. Your need to fix or rescue now becomes controlling. You attempt to control the other person’s behavior through criticism, ultimatums, nagging or giving unsolicited advice. This typically is a result of having no self-control, which is your attempt to control them in an effort to feel control of yourself. We are not responsible to change or control others. We’re only responsible for ourselves. Proverbs 25:28 tells us that a man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
3. You walk on eggshells around the other person. You’re likely afraid of doing or saying something that will displease or anger them or set them off. As a result, you may not express your opinion, share your feelings, or ask for what you want. You may say “yes” to things that you didn’t want to, or they don’t align with your values or goals. Matthew 5:9 reminds us that peacemakers are blessed. There is a big difference between being a peacemaker and a peacekeeper.
4. You act like a martyr taking care of everyone and everything but resentful that no one wants to help or take care of you. Matthew 5:37 reminds us to let what you say simply be “yes or no”. Anything more than this comes from evil. Saying “yes” when you would prefer to say no doesn’t make you a better Christian.
5. You continue the relationship, even after the other person has repeatedly hurt you physically, emotionally, or financially. Co-dependence frequently makes you believe that they are being loving. 1st Corinthians, 13:7 tells us that love never gives up, never loses faith, and is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. My friend, God didn’t intend for you to endure abuse and tolerate evil behavior.
6. You are afraid of being rejected, criticized, or seen as a bad person. We all want to be loved and accepted tendency crosses the line into needing it to the point of accepting or tolerating toxic behavior as a people pleaser. It’s important to always ask the question in Galatians 1:10, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings or God? Or am I trying to please people?” If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Codependency plays out in relationships, but it is also rooted in how you feel about yourself. The focus is often to get the other person to change, but the truth is, you can only change yourself and we can’t even do that. without the help of the Holy Spirit. So, if you want to se

This One Behavior Makes You Impossible to Manipulate

Imagine walking through a pitch-black room, filled with hidden traps. You’re stumbling, unsure of your next step. But then—someone flips on the light. Suddenly, you see everything clearly. The confusion ends. The danger loses its grip.

Manipulators thrive in darkness—confusion, doubt, and emotional chaos are their playground. But when you develop discernment, it’s like flipping on that light. You begin to see people’s true motives, not just with your eyes, but with spiritual clarity.

What Is Discernment?

Discernment isn’t just a gut feeling—it’s clarity. It’s the ability to see beyond appearances and recognize what’s really going on beneath the surface. Biblically, it's a gift from God (Hebrews 5:14) that helps you separate truth from lies, care from control.

Discernment allows you to:

• Recognize manipulation, even when it’s subtle.
• Trust what God reveals over what someone says.
• Understand motives, not just messages.

Think of it as a spiritual lie detector—one that exposes deception before it takes hold.

Why Manipulators Lose Power When You Have Discernment

1. They Can’t Confuse You Anymore
   You stop second-guessing yourself and clearly see through:
   • Gaslighting
   • Guilt trips
   • Half-truths
2. They Lose Control Over Your Emotions
   Discernment helps you respond with wisdom, not reactivity. Without access to your emotions, manipulators lose their grip.
3. They Get Exposed
   Manipulators hide in confusion—but clarity shines a light they can’t escape.

The Catch: Discernment Requires Emotional Stability

Discernment is powerful, but without emotional stability, it won’t protect you. Emotional instability makes you vulnerable—even when you see the truth. For example:

• Craving love can blind you to toxic patterns.
• Loyalty to “family at all costs” can keep you in dysfunction.
• Fear of conflict can make you over-apologize and backtrack.

Build Emotional Resilience in 3 Steps

1. Detach from the Need for Approval
   Let go of needing to be liked—it's your greatest defense.
2. Stop Explaining Yourself
   Manipulators don’t need more info—they want control. Silence disarms them.
3. Master the Power of the Pause
   Don’t react. Pause. Breathe. Respond in strength, not fear.

When you combine discernment with emotional stability, manipulation loses its power. In the next episode, we’ll explore what to do when manipulators escalate—even after you’ve reclaimed your clarity and peace.

🔥 Next Steps:
📺 Watch This: When a Narcissist Can’t Manipulate You, They Try These 5 Toxic Tactics
📖 Download Your Free Narcissist Survival Guide: Click here

Is prayer simply a matter of endurance? The question we answer in this episode is If I Ask God Enough, Will He Give Me What I'm Praying For?
FREE 5 Day Created with Purpose Devotional
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Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.
TRANSCRIPTION:
It is said that there is power in prayer and if that’s true, which it is, there must be real power in persistent prayer. Persistent prayer is Biblical. Matthew 7:7 reminds us to “ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be open to you.” So, is prayer, simply a matter of endurance? Meaning, that if I keep on persisting, eventually I’ll get what I’m praying for. There’s a dangerous line that we cross when we take persistent prayer too far.
In fact, there are three destructive patterns that we can fall into if we rely solely on the persistence of prayer.

Number one is thinking that prayer is persuasion. We can’t change God, it’s arrogance if we actually think we can. Prayer is not persuasion. God is not going to conform His will to our whim. Once we cross into thinking that prayer is persuasion, that leap isn’t that long into manipulation. Proverbs 19:21 tells us that many are the plans in the mind of a man but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Yes, there are times in the Bible where God does change his mind, but those times were conditional. It certainly happened every time a sinner repents as well. God then changes his mind. We now go from being an enemy of God to being his beloved child.

Number two is thinking that prayer is a form of mysticism. Much of the new age, occult practices have seeped into the church’s beliefs. For example, the Law of Attraction, which is basically “what I put out, I’ll get back” mantras and many other mystical teachings has become a regular part of a Christian belief. Many of these mystical practices can translate to prayer when one believes that simply praying prayers of repetition will bring back good things to you, thinking that your persistence somehow has power, put you into a more magical state of mind, rather than a surrendered one. We reduce God to a formula and dare, I say some magic formula. God is not a formula to be figured out. He is our Father and He is to be trusted. No one understands why He blesses some and not others. God does not enable us to always understand everything perfectly or completely right now. When I am tempted to throw in the prayer towel, I am reminded of the story of the persistent widow in Luke 18.

Starting at verse 1, Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said in a certain town, there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought and there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with a plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary”. Verse 4; For some time, he refused, but he finally said to himself, “even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this Widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so that she won’t eventually come and attack me”. And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice and quickly. However, when the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the Earth?”

Does this mean that if I keep asking that I can eventually wear God down and He’ll give me what I’m asking for? Well, we have to be careful, not to reduce God’s sovereignty to a magic formula.

Number three is thinkin

If the Devil Can’t Get to You, He’ll Send a Narcissist—6 Tactics He Uses to Destroy You

Why This Battle Feels Different

• You’ve locked every door, secured every window, and set every alarm—but what do you do when Judas is already inside the house?
• This isn’t just a difficult relationship; it’s a spiritual attack.
• The enemy knows your weak points, and when he can’t reach you directly, he’ll send someone who already has the keys—a narcissist.
• The tactics they use aren’t just harmful; they’re designed to steal, kill, and destroy.

6 Demonic Tactics the Enemy Uses Through the Narcissist

🔥 Confusion and Doubt

• Gaslighting, twisting truth, and making you second-guess yourself.
• You over-explain, over-apologize, and start believing if you “fix” yourself, things will get better.
• Truth: God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).

💔 Emotional Wounds

• They trigger past betrayals, insecurities, and pain, keeping you focused on hurt rather than healing.
• Truth: God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).

🌿 Bitterness and Resentment

• They hurt you repeatedly, making unforgiveness feel justified.
• But bitterness doesn’t trap them—it traps you.
• Truth: Let go of all bitterness and forgive as Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:31-32).

⚔️ Spiritual Confusion

• They plant doubts: If God is for you, why are you still stuck here?
• They twist scripture and use faith to manipulate.
• Truth: Ask God for wisdom, and He will give it generously (James 1:5).

🚪 Isolation

• They cut you off from friends, family, and support systems.
• They smear your reputation, making it hard for others to believe your reality.
• Truth: God will strengthen and uphold you (Isaiah 41:10).

🎯 Distraction from Purpose

• They keep you entangled in chaos, draining your energy and burying your God-given gifts.
• Truth: The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy—but Jesus came to give life abundantly (John 10:10).

How to Break Free

✅ Pray – This is your greatest weapon. Ask God for strength, discernment, and protection. Exodus 14:14: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
✅ Set Boundaries – Protect your heart, mind, and spirit from their influence.
✅ Trust God’s Justice – Let go of revenge and control. God sees everything and will act in His perfect timing.

Want to Go Deeper?

📺 Watch: How God Deals with Narcissists When He’s Had Enough
📖 Download: Your FREE Narcissist Survival Guide → Click Here

One Church to the next, I would search for the most charismatic environment I could find because I longed for the spirit of God, I would wait online for hours, just for Word to be spoken over me. I would pray endlessly for a powerful move of God to overtake every fiber of my being, I was a woman on fire for God or so I thought.

I went to a conference many years ago and the purpose of this conference for me. Anyway was to experience a powerful move of God. And at the time, I needed guidance and direction and I was hoping for a miracle I went with expectation because that's what faith does, right? But what I realized was that I was making this relationship with God all about me. Yes, I would worship God through song but the truth was, I was more about what I could get than what I could give. And I looked around at hundreds of people who were truly looking like, they were trying to conjure up the presence of God. It was almost like some Voodoo experience and emotions were high as the music pounded through our soul. And it was at that moment that I realized, This is exhausting. And I didn't mean it in a way where I'm not willing to spend my energy for God's glory. I mean, it in a way where it was emotionally draining in such a way that it made me wonder. Is this what God even really wants?

If you are struggling in your faith or you want to grow in your faith, I want to invite you to join us for a Free Five-day Mountain Moving Faith devotional, it is my gift to you because I believe that you to my friend have Mountain Moving faith.