Hey everyone!!
How have you been? As one of the more popular topics my sister and I have been talking about, friends, or people around us in general, are a huge part of our lives. Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly being influenced by those around us. We may not recognize this all the time, but the people around us really do make a difference in our thought processes, opinions, and mannerisms. That is why it is important for us as Christians to be aware of who we are fellowshipping with. Because we are in a relationship with God, we don't want anyone or anything else to become more important than Him, as He is our number one priority. However, this is not always easy.
One very important thing that I keep on being told, yet I find the most difficult to achieve is the ability to be completely satisfied with how I look and to not compare myself with other girls. Being that we are human, it is natural to want to feel like we are better than others, but that shouldn't be the case. In fact, according to the Bible, we should view others as higher than ourselves and to think of their needs before ours. This doesn't mean that we have to become a slave to other people or to be used by others, but it means that we should make it a habit to learn how to be a selfless, humble servant of God. This is eye opening because this made me realize that my life isn't all about me. It's about Jesus and living out my talents as I serve Him and bless others. Of course, there is a time and place for everything so I do believe that we should take time to re-energize and be by ourselves in a non-selfless way.
However, finding the balance between being selfless and being sure that you're not hanging around toxic people can be a very difficult challenge. Throughout my life, I can confidently say that I have been blessed to have been able to be surrounded by a healthy, Christian environment where I was able to share happiness with my peers. But, I can also say that I have been used by other people and have been in a somewhat toxic relationship where I feel like I have to constantly entertain them, to give more often than receiving, to feel like I wasn't enough for them on my own, and to feel like I am being somewhat judged all the time. These types of relationships are very hard to deal with, especially if you're stuck in that friendship throughout all your high school career. But, there is one thing that I can say very confidently. Despite the toxic relationships we may be in, we can always learn how to be a better friend ourselves and to look at our weaknesses before pointing out others. I can definitely learn how to be more giving, selfless, humble, and so much more. After all, everyone who comes into our life is there for a reason whether we will ever know why or not.
So, with that being said, I encourage you all out there. If you are tired of those toxic relationships around you, please don't be discouraged and hang in there. Just continue to keep them in your prayers and be a friend that you would want to hang around. And if you're looking for a friend or trying to force any relationship, (trust me, I've been there) then I would say to be ok with waiting. Nothing forced is good.
Please continue to smile and may the joy of the Lord be with you this week!!
Much love and keep dreaming,
Momo