Who Surrounds You?

 

I'm currently finishing up the book of Job and if you're not familiar with the story. Job was a man who God allow satan to test. 

In this test, satan took away his children and wealth from him to see if he would curse God. It showed that in the midst of this hardship Job's friends came to 'console' him. 

And I use 'console' because throughout reading the book they didn't really console him at all.  Instead, they nitpicked at Job's life and pointed out his errors to justify why he was now cursed. 

They brought up things that honestly made me feel as though they had these thoughts about Job on their minds for quite some time and couldn't wait for him to be down to finally say them. 

I wasn't sure if they were jealous of his blessings, but the fact that they waited when he was down and out for the count to criticize him made me look at them a bit sideways. 

Yes, they offered Job instructions to repent, because they believe that he had to have done something to cause God to punish him as such, but in many of Job's replies, he kept telling them that he didn't do anything. Which was true.

They, however, continue to say when he was high and mighty he looked down on helping others and that he thought he was better than others, but Job defended himself saying that he never thought of himself as such. He was fully aware that his life was nothing but a vapor and so were his blessings. He knew that God can give and surely take away. 

He also told them that he helped people and there was nothing to it, but to help them. 

I could not imagine the emotions of Job during this time. 

Not only was his children whom he have watched grow and love dead, along with his possession in which he have worked for gone, he was also surrounded by people who couldn't assist him spiritually and even physically. 

They more so tormented him in this time when he needed some form of direction to stay upright. 

His wife told him to curse God and die, his family didn't even come near him (until he received his double portion) and his friends who came by seemed to just chastise him instead of helping him. 

Even God, in the end, said that He was disappointed in the 1st three of Job's friends because they hadn't spoken truthfully about God. They only made themselves look good in the midst of Job's downfall. 

Who surrounds you?

Take a serious evaluation of those who are around you. Those you call friends and have made connections with. Those who you spend time with and who you converse with. 

Are they the right connection for you?

Do they feed into the good about you or the bad?

Do they motivate you to do the right things?

When they speak to you or of you is it with good intentions? 

Do they support the God in you?

Have you been feeling the need to disconnect yourself?

Do they reciprocate the good energy you give?

When in times of low, are they present and if so, how is it? 

Do they gloat in your lows?

Do they help build you back up in the right way?

I know, it's a lot of questions but I want you to ask yourself these today. 

I want you to come to the exact conclusion of who surrounds you. 

There are too many of us holding false friendships and friendships past their expiration date. Keeping spoiled relationships that are poisoning us more than helping us. Wondering why we are not moving or progressing. 

It's all because of who we allowed in our circle. That rotten pipe has caused the blessing to stop flowing. 

You'll be amazed to see how many people would be content to walk with you through the mud to ensure that you stay there. 

I know, it may be hard to disconnect from persons who you know don't mean you well. 

People that you have known for so long, but remember that history doesn't mean positivity. Just because you have known them long and they have been present for everything doesn't mean that they mean you well. 

In order for you to move and grow, you're going to have to change your circle frequently. Not due to the fact that there will be a lot of people who are deceptive, but because many persons will just not be able to progress with you. 

They are only good for you for a season and even in that season they may not be good for you, but just a lesson that you need to learn. 

I had to evaluate my circle. I had to see who was truly for me and cut ties with many people who I thought would have been there forever. I thought that it wouldn't work out in the end because I thought removing them would be crucial to my process, but the decision brought the peace that I needed. 

It brought the growth that God has been trying to get out of me for a very long time. 

The freedom. 

The boldness. 

Please check who surrounds you. Regardless of family or friendship. 

Nurture the friendships that are worth keeping and severe the connections that are damaging. 

~TheRay