ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Drive Thru Relationships

Relationships in today’s society is just like driving  through a fast food line, you order what you want, drive around and pay for  it.

You take the food without giving a second thought to how many calories and  most importantly is it healthy?
Chances are what you’re about to consume is not only unhealthy but  damaging.
Perhaps at some point resulting in disease which could rob your life!
Well, relationships can have the same disastrous results!

Relationships Without Boundaries Are a Recipe For Disaster.

It could be a family member, co-worker, boyfriend/girlfriend, church friends,  peers, people you’re called to shepherd/mentor, etc. The list is endless.
We seriously need to step back from time to time and evaluate the  relationships in our lives and ask ourselves Is this relationship healthy or  destructive?
Spend time in prayer asking the Lord what is not healthy and what to do about  it. There are times where you will have to close the door and walk away from a  relationship because not doing so will open up negativity and strife in your own  life.
Make no mistake, the devil will use so-called friends to steer you away from  God’s Best!
We recently had encountered a situation where we had to close the door  because the relationship was destructive and causing strife. The person involved  is not a bad person, not at all.
However, the demonic strongholds in their life were spilling into ours. The  unresolved issues affected their behavior and choices which spilled over to  those in connection with the individual.
After much prayer it was very clear and even though it hurt us to close the  door, it was the best thing to do. Not only for us but for the individual too.  Sometimes God will pull others away for your protection!

What If The Negative Person Is You?

What if you recognize the negative person is you?
How do you deal with yourself being the issue?
Well, I can speak from experience on this one!!  :)
I know there are certain issues I face that are not healthy for anyone to be  around and why would I want to subject anyone to anything unhealthy if I care  about them?
So the best thing I can do is limit my interaction with people I care about  so that I don’t affect them in a negative way.
I trust God that He is working in those areas so that in time, I will be  healthy in those areas!

There Is Nothing Wrong With Pulling Yourself Away For a Season So That  God Can Have His Way!!

It’s a good thing, not only in your relationship with God but for future  relationships with others!
Spend time asking God to evaluate first your own heart which is deceitful  above all things and then allow Him to show areas that need addressing. Ask Him  to remove those relationships that are not healthy for you and replace them with  on fire believers that will have a positive impact in your life!
Most importantly allow Him to bring those individuals into your life at His  Timing not yours.

• He may pull some away or He may tell you to close the door.

• He may ask you to stay in a certain place for a season to sow into  another.

• He may even ask you to pull away from all and seek just  Him.

Regardless Of What The Lord Asks Of You Or Reveals To You, Make Sure You  Do Exactly What He Says

Not only does the Lord have your best interest at heart, He has others best  interest at heart,  too.  The Lord knows what is best. (As Michael  would say, our heavenly Father always knows best)
Don’t jump into any relationship without careful consideration and time spent  in prayer or you could open yourself up to needless attacks and destructive  relationships that rob you of peace and joy.
Make no mistake those individuals who claim to be your friends that gossip,  slander, belittle, stir strife, talk negative behind your back, lie and  manipulate are not true friends, they are wolves in sheep’s skin.
They are not out for your best interest but for their own and they are being  used by the enemy to do his bidding!
Forgive them and distance yourself from them but most of all pray for them  because they’re opening up demons to invade their lives because of their  choices.
It’s easy to get upset, angry, resentful, or even bitter but you have to  remember that most of the time when someone is being used by Satan they are not  aware of it.
We need to pray their eyes to be opened to the reality of what they are  allowing into their lives.

Be careful what you order because you get what you pay  for!

Read more: http://www.bible-knowledge.com/drive-thru-relationships/#ixzz2g2S9X99y