Many of us would probably not admit it, but in my world, I have learned that we can oftentimes get very impressed as well as depressed by people. We get excited when people feed our ego, or we can be saddened when people disappoint us and let us down.
God spoke to me this morning and said: "The reason why you often get overly impressed with people AND extremely low with other people is because you invest too much of yourself in them." The bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Its God's joy that should carry us, consume us, encourage us and uplift us. Simply stated, we have expectations on people to do things for us that they were NEVER created to do, and that is to be our SOURCE of joy.
Whenever we find ourselves wrapped in the the affairs of others it may be a sign that we have allowed them to rent too much real estate space in our mind. If the joy of the Lord truly is our strength, then our happiness is never left to what others do or don't do for or to us. Oftentimes our emotions aren't stable and they are built on how well or poorly someone treats. Everything we need for happiness, peace, and joy-the bible teaches us is found in the Lord! He is the SOURCE of what we need. In my world I am learning to stop looking for what I need in other people. If I continue to look for what I need in other people, the possibility exists that I will be disappointed every single time. People move like the wind, their attitudes are as shifty as ours, and continuing to seek joy in people says to the Lord that we don't think he is competent to give us what we truly need.
I don't know about you, but in my world I NEED joy! I need joy, and I can't leave the receipt of my joy to people who were NEVER designed to give it to me. The joy of the Lord is my strength, your strength and whatever you need can always be found in the Lord!
