Filled People

           This week I'm starting week 3 of the Women Living Well summer Bible Study. Last week, I was encouraged greatly to chase Jesus and not the wind. It was refreshing to be encouraged in truth. It was energizing to cast down the lies of this world and be filled with the Word of God.  We are daily bombarded with lies about prosperity, material gain and more. It's all chasing after the wind. As I was meditating and praying I believe the Holy Spirit shared with me one of the greatest hindrance to living a grateful, peaceful and satisfied life are the people we allow to speak into our lives - obviously. But specifically in this area. Do our lives feel empty or filled?

       It’s so important to surround ourselves with people who are filled. Empty people are always looking for something new. The longer we hang around them the more discontent we become with our lives. When we leave the presence of an empty person we often feel like our lives are not good enough, that we don’t measure up. We aren’t skinny enough, rich enough, smart enough. We no longer feel content with our home, our car, our spouse etc. The lack of satisfaction from the empty person easily rubs off on us and triggers unhealthy thought patterns.

       Filled people have an attitude of gratitude. They are content with what God has provided and they are satisfied. They are not always searching for something bigger, better, newer. If God provides bigger, better and newer they embrace it, but they are not constantly looking down at what has been provided or chasing after the wind.

      After closing out week 2 of the Women Living Well summer Bible study, it’s clearer now than ever before just how important it is for our mental and spiritual health to spend the majority of our time with people who are filled. People who remind us how blessed we are. People who remind us how good and faithful God has been.

      We are all tempted from time to time. We all have times in our live when we crave more than what we have. But these temptations should be fleeting, and the Holy Spirit will help us conquer every time. But when we have empty people in our lives who constantly present these temptations daily, weekly, monthly - it’s not healthy.

     If you are feeling pressure to keep up with the Joneses it may not be entirely your fault. You may be absorbing unhealthy pressures from those you’ve surrounded yourself with. It’s time to evaluate your relationships. It’s important to minimize the time you spend with empty people, especially if you can’t withstand the peer pressure.

      Personally, I’m in a season where I’m only accepting quality people into my life. I’ve spent my life being nice to everyone and embracing whomever I thought needed encouragement or help. But I no longer have the time or energy to spend going around in circles with unhealthy people. I owe it to myself to require more from those I spend the most time with. If someone isn’t bringing something to the table mentally, emotionally or spiritually then they won’t make the cut to entire my life on deeper levels.

   Some people may spend their entire lives knowing you on surface levels because they have yet to mature to a healthy enough level to be promoted. That’s their choice! Each person has a choice to grow or not. We can’t force anyone’s journey. But we can decide who levels up and who does not in our own lives. It’s important that we look after our own mental, emotional and spiritual health and spend the majority of our time with filled people.

“All I have needed thy hand has provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.”