Hide Those Straws!

Do you know someone who just kind of "sips" the joy out of you? As if they walk around with one of those bendy straws and use it to draw every ounce of hope, joy, peace, or patience you might have.

The problem with this kind of relationship (because it almost invariably is someone in your family or a close friend) is most of the time you have no idea your being spiritually and emotionally drained until you are very nearly empty or you've gotten so used to it you think it's a normal part of life.

The real question is what do you do when you realize this dynamic is going on in your own life or you learn that you yourself should be taking out stock in a straw company!

One step is to recognize when you are in a relationship with someone who is stealing your peace or joy with a negative attitude or gossip and make a decision to set up healthy boundaries with this person. Be honest and take responsibility for your own feelings but let the other person know how what they are saying makes you feel. Perhaps limit the amount of time you spend with the person or create an "out of bounds" rule for certain topics.

I think the most important thing we can do, especially in the case of discouragement after an encounter with a "spirit sipper" or ( Le Gasp!) becoming one ourselves, is to keep our eyes on Jesus and remember to cast all our cares upon Him. Spend time in prayer, rest in the presence of God, learn to seek what's good, pure, noble and right to think about, and let God's Spirit fill you up.