Joy Suckers - People

 

There are people in this life who will cross your path that will suck the very life out of you if given the chance. They can suck the joy right out of you by their words, attitudes and deeds. These people, in general, are not happy people. They lack the joy of the Lord in their lives.

Nehemiah said, “...Do not grieve, because the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10 CSB). We know there is nothing quite like having the joy of the Lord in our lives. It’s powerful. There is great strength in the joy of the Lord  

I first heard the term “Joy-Sucker” at a pastors’ meeting in St. Louis over 20 years ago. The proverbial light bulb popped on as the speaker began to talk about people who are joy-suckers. It really resonated with me. I had been dealing with people like this. The challenge was very real.

Let’s look a little closer at what a joy-sucker is. They are people in life who have opinions about everything - negative opinions, that is. These people will tell you why it can’t be done and generally suck the joy out of every endeavor you set you hand to do. They squash dreams, plant doubt and make us want to run in the opposite direction as fast as we can.

Dealing with joy-suckers can certainly be challenging. This is especially true if it is a friend or family member. I pretty much dismiss the joy-suckers I encounter on social media. It seems social media is a breeding ground for them. 

Don’t be an enabler! Don’t give someone the wherewithal to suck the joy and life out of you. Life is too short to walk this path. You control this. Don’t allow it to be done to you. This may entail having some serious conversations with the joy-suckers in your life. It could even come down to severing these toxic relationships in your life.   

I believe it is equally important that we search inward to see if we have become a joy-sucker. No one needs a joy sucker in their life. I have determined I don’t want to be a joy-sucker myself. I desire to have the joy of the Lord in my life. I want to be an encourager to others. Not a joy-sucker. 

Until next time...enjoy the journey!

Ray

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