20 Signs That God Is Removing Someone From Your Life
It is clear that indeed this world is built on relationships. How far a person goes in life, or not, depends on who the person is intimately connected to.
Nevertheless, it is important that every relationship in a person’s life has a time-bound aspect. It may be long or short-term, depending on the type of relationship or conditions. Yet, God, who has an everlasting covenant relationship with you, knows who and when someone or people are meant to be with you. He knows and identifies the short or long-term relationship as it is applicable to your destiny. It is, therefore, important to pay attention to some signs that might serve as a pointer that it is time for you to let go of someone, as God is removing such a person from your life.
Most of the time, people who result in this case rarely come into your life for a long-term relationship in the first place. But in the case where you are holding onto them while God is removing them, it is very important to pay attention to their impact on your life.
The following are things to pay attention to:
- NEGATIVE INFLUENCE: In the case where someone’s relationship with you is resulting in a negative influence over your life in many salient aspects like faith in God and values, it can be a way God is telling you that it is time to let go of such intimacy. (1 Corinthians 15:33) – “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
- GOD’S INSTRUCTION: This is one of the most signs that God is removing someone from your life. God will give you an instruction or something to do which mostly results in the person being separated from you or you being separated from the person. (2 Corinthians 6:17-18) – “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
(Genesis 12;1-4,24:1-4)
- PRACTICAL ISSUES: Issues arising between you and someone can also be a sign that God wants you and the person to be separated. Mostly, these issues will erupt from the other party in which you will sense a lot of inconveniences and limitations with it. See Genesis 13:5-18. Quarrels began between Abram’s herders and Lot’s because the land there could not accommodate their increase and expansion. Abram had to ask for the two of them to depart in order to make room for peace even though they are relatives. It means God removing someone from your life does not necessarily mean the person is an evil being.
- LACK OF PEACE: If you consistently lack peace and joy concerning your relationship with anyone, it is a sign that God wants you apart from the person. Mostly, if there is no legal ground for you to lack peace but yet you couldn’t find your peace as the person remains in your life and circle of influence, it is a good pointer to pay rapt attention to. The case of Abram and Lot in Genesis 13:5-8 surfaces here (1 Corinthians 7:15 also). (Philippians 4:7) – “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Colossians 3:15) – “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body; and be thankful.”
- GROWTH: When you grow and develop daily in every area of your life, either spiritually, financially, or otherwise, you automatically have the desire to forge ahead with more advanced relationships. For you to grow means you have more value, and for more value to be added to you will give room for more influence, which will result in you mingling with more influential personalities. In the case of spiritual growth while others are in a limited life, you will surely have cravings for more God-centered relationships. The other party will begin to feel uncomfortable around you if not willing to level up with you in the process of growing. (Colossians 3:10) – “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” (Proverbs 18:16) – “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” (Proverbs 22:29) – “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”
- CHANGE IN ONE’S LIFE GOALS: A person’s life goals, which may change at a point in time, can be a pointer towards separation from the other. In this case, when matching is not constant, the other party sees the reasons to change in behavior and starts acting strangely. Aspirations and callings, if changed, often lead to different directions, and this may make God remove the other party from your life for a good reason. God orchestrates this even when one is not planning it. (Proverbs 19:21) – “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless, the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” (Proverbs 16:9) – “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” Also see “Amos 3:3.”
- BROKENNESS OF TRUST: This is another sign that God is removing someone from your life. The person can suddenly adopt this kind of life which results in you not trusting the person, or the person not trusting you. This kind of relationship cannot bear any good fruit. If trust is consistently broken in any relationship, God may order a separation for emotional and spiritual health. (Proverbs 25:19) – “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.”
- EVIL FORESIGHT: If God sees evil ahead for you because of your relationship with someone, He will bring about the removal of that person from your life. He allows you to see this through different means, such as feelings, dreams, or spiritual awareness, by His voice in your inner self. The person’s constant utterance of fear about the future can also negate your own faith, and this might be the sign that you may soon be entering a mess with the person. (Proverbs 22:3) – “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.”
- LOSS OF MUTUAL RESPECT AND HONOR: When you are in a relationship and the respect and honor between you and the other person diminish to the point of ridicule, it is a sign that such a relationship is becoming unhealthy, and surely God will cause a removal. The case of Jacob and Esau illustrates how they both had no choice but to be separated. A lot of strife led to the loss of respect and honor. If it is coming from the other party, it is certainly a sign that God is done and is now setting up the removal of such a person from your life. You have to learn to stop forcing such a relationship, no matter how much you love the person. Even between husbands and wives, Ephesians 5:33 emphasizes the importance of these two values. (Matthew 7:6) – “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
- SUDDEN ERUPTION OF CONTINUOUS STRIFE: If strife suddenly erupts between you and a person when it was not usual, it might be a pointer to the removal of that person from your life. Uncontrolled strife often leads to separation, as removal is a way of reducing any form of dangerous damages. Jacob had to run away from home when Esau was intent on hurting him. (Proverbs 17:14) – “The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.”
- EMOTIONAL DRAIN: Any relationship that emotionally begins to drain you is a big sign that God is causing a separation between you and the person involved. Mostly when you are in a circle of influence that deranges you instead of building you, you are meant to prepare for God removing people from your life or removing you from such a circle. You should also note that God is removing you from this circle and act fast. (Proverbs 4:23) – “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
- CHANGE IN MOTIVE FROM POSITIVE TO NEGATIVE: When there is a change in the motive of a person concerning you without any tangible cause or reason in which you can work on, it is a pointer towards God setting to remove them from your life. Peter was rejected by Jesus at some point because of his motive. He thought he was doing well, but not knowing a wrong motive had been released. Jesus had to rebuke him. This same thing had to do with King Saul. The consistency he had in the wrong motive towards David really shows that his kingdom had been destroyed.
- SPIRITUAL STAGNATION: When the person hinders your spiritual walk with God, it is a sign that you are not meant to be with the person. It shows that God is removing the person from you. (Hebrews 10:24-25) – “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
- LACK OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING: Whenever there is no union in understanding between you and someone, it’s a sign that you and the person can no longer be together. A relationship that does not work towards understanding will not make progress. The building of the Tower of Babel is a good example. God had to separate their languages, causing misunderstanding before the project could stop. Understanding is a vital aspect to consider in staying in a relationship with anyone unless one is settling to die or be limited. (Philippians 3:16) – “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.” (Amos 3:3) – “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
- LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY: This part is very essential; you have to be careful when anyone becomes unaccountable for their actions and such persons are in intimacy with you. They tend to hurt you and cause your life more harm. (James 5:16) – “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” That anyone lacks accountability towards you or himself or herself mainly means the person has lost a sense of responsibility and might find it hard to be loyal and faithful in a relationship with you.
- WITHDRAWAL OF COMMITMENT AND CONCERNS: The withdrawal of commitment and concern from someone in your life can be a sign that God is planning to remove that person from your life. This can occur for different reasons like bad influence, hindrances to life success, or not being compatible with God’s plan for your life. David was sensitive to this very early on when he noticed this with Saul, even though Saul was nursing a lot of ways to bring him down before David was aware. When people are not in any way committed to you and concerned about your success, they are not really needed to be in your life.
- TERRIBLE CHARACTER: When a person has grown towards a toxic nature of habits around you, it’s a sign that you need to be separated from such a person. Behavior that brings bad omens and negative occurrences will destroy a person’s life, and those who are around him or her will be destroyed too or put into trouble. To avoid this, God puts in place the system of removing such a person from your life. God’s instruction had to be put in place for Samson not to have anything to do with the people of a land, talking of taking a wife from that place. The character of those families who reported Daniel brought them and their wives and children into destruction. (Proverbs 22:24-25) – “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” For an example, the destruction of Ahab came mainly because of the character of his wife, Jezebel, the one who influenced him toward different evil acts. (1 Kings 21:25-26) We can also see how the bad character of Cain cut short the life of Abel. Anyone with bad character has enough signals to show that God is not interested in one’s intimacy with such a person. This bad character can even be said to be evil behavior.
- CHARACTER DIFFERENCES: This does not necessarily mean one has bad or negative character, but in a situation where characters do not align, purposes may not align, and so it won’t make it workable to have a fruitful relationship in this situation. Jacob and Esau, for example, were twin brothers, but they had different personalities. Esau lacked emotional intelligence, he was always in a rush and impatient, he focused a lot on gratifying his immediate needs. Jacob, on the other hand, was more strategic and had higher aims and goals. He was willing to secure blessings and birthrights. The two of them could not make a team because they had different characters that brought about different purposes. Check Genesis 25 to chapter 27. Saul and David were another example of differences in character. One was adamant and full of disobedience, while the other was resentful and embraced obedience. Check 1 Samuel 15 and chapter 16.
- DIVISION: Pay attention to division between you and someone. Whatever causes that may be pointing to the separation between you and the person. This can be from conflicts and discord, and God is removing the person from your life for your healing and peace or separating the two of you in order to find healing and peace for your souls. The division here has a lot to do with building a caucus, creating an antagonism body against you, or speaking ill of you through slander or libel.
- GOD IS DONE: Whenever God is done with a man for the reason He brings the person into your life, there is mostly a sign of God ending what brought about your meeting or connection. God will break every bond and means through which you can stay in contact, and the interest of the two of you in staying connected will begin to wash down the line. This may be a sign that God is causing separation between you and someone.
Lack of maturity is another crucial aspect to consider. This includes emotional intelligence, the ability to digest words, and the capacity to settle matters amicably. If most of the errors in your relationship are amplified to the point of causing harm or destruction, it’s a sign that God is interested in removing such a person from your life. This is what led to Abel’s early demise, the strife between Saul and David, and the battle line drawn by Esau against his brother, Jacob. Being emotionally intelligent means having control over one’s feelings and reactions to situations, leading to solutions rather than more chaos.
This subject reveals God’s ability to see beyond the natural human flaws and wrongs, selecting those whose hearts align with His purpose. We are all a work in progress, and for this reason, God orchestrates times and seasons to separate individuals for their mutual perfection. God will not connect you to someone or something that will cut your life short. However, if situations, ignorance, or desires of the flesh have led you into a destructive situation, God, who sees ahead, is always interested in providing you with safety, and separation can be part of it.
There are times and seasons for relationships. In the decision to distance oneself from a relationship, let it be accompanied by love, grace, and well-wishes for the other person’s betterment. Separating from someone does not mean that person’s life should be ruined. Prayerfully consider the person involved with divine love.
There are short and long-term relationships, and this determines how carefully we should consider the beginning of any relationship, whether it falls into the short or long term category. The distinction between short and long term also affects how easy it is for us to opt out when necessary.
A short-term relationship involves a romantic or interpersonal connection with a brief time and season duration and without an intention of long-lasting commitment. These relationships can vary in length, being longer or shorter, depending on various factors. They are generally known with the features of their temporary nature, often lasting for a few days, weeks, months, or a short number of years. Short-term relationships can serve different purposes, such as casual dating, exploration, transition, temporary connections, or fulfilling specific duties or assignments. These relationships can take various forms, such as courtship (1 Corinthians 7:1-2), contemporary dating, work and professional relationships (Colossians 3:23), ministry and missionary work (Matthew 28:19-20), and community service (Matthew 25:35-36).
In contrast, a long-term relationship is a romantic or interpersonal connection characterized by an extended duration and an intention of lasting for a significant period, often with the possibility of lifelong commitment. Long-term relationships are known for their commitment, stability, emotional bonds, unique experiences, future plans, lifelong partnerships, and effective resolution of conflicts. Examples of long-term relationships include marriage (Genesis 2:24), friendship (Proverbs 17:17), parent and child relationships (Proverbs 22:6), and spiritual mentorship (Titus 2:3-5).