Loving a Narcissist will hurt you.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a medical condition defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). A person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder needs to see a healthcare professional to get this specific diagnosis. But many personality-disordered people don’t seek treatment or want a diagnosis because they don’t consider themselves to have a problem–it’s everyone else who has a problem. Narcissistic is often used as a blanket title for someone who has many or all of these traits, but we need to be careful when trying to diagnose someone without medical oversight. Even without a proper diagnosis, narcissistic traits are still very toxic in any relationship. Narcissism can be treated but can’t be cured. Most often it’s best to learn to assert boundaries and keep your distance for your own physical and emotional health. A licensed counselor, who is experienced in personality disorders, can help you with this. If you're married to one, marriage counseling is not advised with someone with these personality traits as they often are able to manipulate anyone they are in contact with, even mental health professionals and clergy. So just distance yourself, move on from the trauma and forgive. 

How to win the "Battle".

With God’s help, King Jehoshaphat overcame not just one army, but three! And his victory teaches us how we can win life’s battles. First, identify the enemy. Many of us have no clue who the real enemy is. We think it’s the person who is interested in taking our job, our spouse, or our money. But many times the enemy is our own attitude! It’s not so much what’s happening that gets us down, it’s our response to the situation. Before you can win on a personal level, you must identify the enemy. Note how Jehoshaphat reacted when he heard ‘a vast army’ was coming against him. He was ‘alarmed’. It’s a fairly typical human response. We see a big problem, panic, and become fearful about what’s going to happen to us. And in truth, fear isn’t all bad unless we deal with it in the wrong way. We can use it to motivate us to conquer the problem and drive us closer to God. It’s when we get discouraged, give up, get angry, and start asking, ‘Why me, Lord?’ that fear defeats us. If you’re in a situation that’s filling you with fear and anxiety today, remember – God doesn’t respond to need; He responds to faith. So stake your faith on His unshakeable Word and stand on His promise: ‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand’ (Isaiah 41:10). Unshakeable trust in God’s Word is what brings His help. So wherever you are today or wherever you think you are meant to be, don't be downcast.Take control of your thoughts and your words and start living your best life because only you can give that to you. Not a job, person or thing. Selah!