Daily Delight
Your happiness should not be hindered by the words or actions of other people. It also should not be wholly dependent on someone else. It’s not worth it, trust me. I did just that in my first relationship of almost four years. We may have dated a long time, but I made him the biggest part of my life and that was the problem - he came first. As lovely as that sounds, it’s not. Putting other people on a pedestal is dangerous and opens up a lot of space to get hurt.
It has been a year and a half since that relationship ended, but those following months were the most heartbreaking I have experienced so far. In hindsight, I have learnt a lot. I learnt that a relationship works two ways and you both need to be putting in equal effort. Being completely open and honest with one another is crucial to communicating how you are feeling. I learnt that other people don’t define your worth and there are people who love reminding you of your beauty and value. I realized that I had been putting the wrong thing first. God needed to be first in my life and I had my priorities wrong. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21, NIV).
It is so important to not put worldly things on a pedestal. Love what is special to you, but never put it before God.
You not only learn how to become stronger through heartache, but you also learn that life goes on. "After your season of suffering, God in all His grace will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10, NIV). It has not been easy getting to this point, but I am so grateful and genuinely happy. So take it from me: your happiness is just that – yours. Avoid letting other people completely influence how you are feeling. If you are upset, be upset. If you are feeling on top of the world, then share that positive energy with those around you. But no matter what, you should never have to justify the way you are feeling to anyone - been there, done that and *yawn* waste of time.
{photo: @victorialemosphotography}
About the Author
Jessica Shipton≫ ≫ Jessica is a twenty-year old student in her third and final year at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia. She is studying a Bachelor of Communication, completing a double major in Digital & Social Media and Public Communications (Advertising).
Jessica enjoys traveling and holds a passion for God, people and writing. Her personal blog is where these three things combine to create something special in an attempt to inspire, encourage and bless others. You can find it here!