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Five Signs of a Spiritual Narcissist
While the spiritual narcissist has much in common with your regular garden variety narcissist, a spiritual narcissist tends to hold sway over more people. You can find them in just about any religion and denomination. Religion is often a big draw for narcissists. Spiritual authority is nebulous; many people who claim to have it, do not. But with enough bluster and authoritarian posturing, it can sure seem like others have spiritual authority. Pastors are not the only ones who often qualify as spiritual narcissists. I have seen many Bible studies putter out as a member stage a takeover. Often church splits are a result of the maneuvering of this or…
- Boundaries, Boundary Lines, Burden-bearing, codependency, Discernment, emotional health, Identity, Redemptive Gifts
The Empath Survival Kit: Loving Constructively
Empath is a relatively new term to enter our vernacular. The dictionary defines empath as (chiefly in science fiction) a person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual. Signs of an Empath The term has come to mean those people with the spiritual gift of burden-bearing, at least in a Christian context. Are you a burden-bearer? Those of us with this gift can sense the suffering of others and are often motivated to sit with them in their slough of despair. Please note that I am not talking about empaths as intuitives. I am discussing this, not from a New Age perspective but from…
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Five Truths about the Gift of Mercy
The gift of mercy is a rough gig. I used to say that all women go around with a broken heart. I projected this particular spiritual gift onto everyone because my heart regularly aches for those around me. It didn’t occur to me that not everyone’s heart does. Now I realize that almost anyone with the gift of mercy carries a heart wounded on behalf of others. And I also know now that not everyone has this gift. The world would be a quite different place if they did, and not necessarily better. But as is the case with any spiritual gift, immaturity can hamper its effectiveness. I believe spiritual…
Healing Through Art & Words
