Surrounded

What are you surrounded by? What do your surroundings look like? Because quite frankly you could be surrounded on the exterior and completely alone on the inside. It may come across as though you’re happy and everything is A-okay; however, when you dig in deeper you realize that your surroundings consists of fear, your past hovers you, your mistakes constantly reminding you that you’re a failure while your struggles are shouting to the four winds that you’re not good enough.

Not everyone who is surrounded by people is in good company. Sometimes the wrong company reinforces your loneliness and your insecurities. Proverbs 13:20 says that whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. (ESV)

Be selective. Know your people. Who you walk with, who you associate with because as 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, do not be deceived: “bad company ruins good morals.” (ESV) Good company, Godly company will liven up your spirit and cheer up your heart. I once heard someone say this: “If you always agree with me, you’re not a good friend.” This is so true, there’s no way you can possibly be right, Every. Single. Time. We need to surround ourselves with people who will challenge us (in a good way), people that will make us better individuals, who will draw us closer to God. Some people need to be surrounded by tough love, if you know me that’s one of my qualities, tough love. Friends, if you ever come to me for anything, know that I will never sugarcoat anything, I will encourage you with truth wrapped with love. Surround yourself with people who speak truth, who speak life into you, who push you to be the best version of yourself, who believe in you, who can challenge you. Please distance yourself from gossipers. Proverbs 20:19 warns us “gossips reveal secrets; don’t associate with those who talk too much.” (CEB) Ephesians 4:29 says “let no filthy be heard from your mouths, but only what is good for building up peopled meeting the need of the moment. This way you will administer grace to those who hear you. (NIV)

Today, I want to challenge you by asking you this question. What are you surrounding yourself with? Who are you surrounded by? What does your surroundings look like? How does it make you feel? Does it draw you closer to God? Does your spirit sit well before, during and after leaving your surroundings?

As a youth pastor, I am constantly speaking to students and checking up on them. And when you really go to the core, you see many of them that seem “happy” on the outside but are lonely on the inside and are really struggling with deep- rooted issues.. With the recent stories of lead pastors taking their lives due to depression, stress, loneliness, and other internal factors; it’s important for us as a community to check up on our people. We have to make sure they’re really okay and that they are in a healthy mindset. It is our duty and our responsibility to do so. It’s time to sit down and dig deeper and get to the root of these feelings. And this will require us to be surrounded by a healthy environment so that we can be healthy influences in other people’s lives.

The most important influence you and I will ever have is God Himself. When we are surrounded by the Holy Spirit, we have all of the tools necessary to be effective when trying to reach a broken world. When we pursue Him, His Presence surrounds us and gives us hope and strength-even in the most challenging seasons of our lives. Therefore, you can infuse that same hope and strength to others who need the correct surroundings. Before we can attempt to “fix” anyone, we must take a step back and analyze ourselves first. We need to be filled first, we need to receive first. We cannot give if we’re running on empty. The Holy Spirit is the only One who can fix and change situations and people; we are only the vessel He uses.

Are you lacking? Surround yourself with Him. Are you fighting a battle that you just can’t seem to win? Call into Him, and He will respond (Jeremiah 33:3) and He will surrounded you with everything you need to be more than a conqueror and win your battles. You are victorious!

This season we are doing a fall series with LSA Breakout, the youth ministry of my church, and the series is called Peeled. We are peeling back the layers and getting to the core and really studying the Fruit of the Spirit. It’s been an amazing series of teaching thus far and we’re not even half way through it. As young people, as adults, as people we need to be not only surrounded but immersed in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There are so many people walking around life as unhappy individuals, harboring unforgivness, bitterness, worry, and the list goes on... but when we have the Holy Spirit active in our lives, then we can demonstrate the nine fruit of the Spirit. You need God’s spirit to love those who have done you wrong, you need His Spirit to have unspeakable joy in the midst of your pain, you need His peace that surpasses all understanding while you’re in the middle of a storm. You can’t do this alone friend, you need Him. We all need to depend on His power which is made perfect in our weaknesses. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Surrounded by Him- you can do more than surrounded by one hundred people. Surrounded by Him- you will never lack. Surrounded by Him- you will feel complete. Surrounded by Him- you will never feel alone. Surrounded by Him- you can invite others to experience His fullness. ”To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)

God wants to surround you and fill you with His presence, He wants to overwhelm you with His love, He wants to cover you with His protection, He wants to renew your strength and give you a new hope. Will you accept? I urge you to do it because there’s an army of people out there waiting for you to help them get through their troubles and God wants to use you to make a difference in their lives.

I’ll leave you with what has become one of my anthems for the past couple of months. Let the words soak in and marinate your spirit.

Be Encourage, Be Blessed!

landypf