Power of Potential

Key Scripture:  “When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath-your exasperation, your fury or indignation-last until the sun goes down.  Leave no such foothold for the devil-give no opportunity to him.”  Ephesians 4:26,27, The Amplified Bible

Power Point:

When I wrote the “Power Up!” yesterday I was making the point that we have to change our thinking in order to think like Jesus. A dear friend reminded me that Jesus did at times become irritated, angry or upset. He did! But He always did something that sometimes we fail to do.  He connected His emotions to the emotions of Holy Spirit and He connected His thoughts to God thoughts. The foundation of His thinking was love for His Father and love for the people. That's why His anger never led Him to sin.

Emotions are good.  God has them too!  But I’m learning in my vast old age that when I add the power of Holy Spirit to my emotions, I am choosing to act like Jesus. He was angry and sinned not. In fact, recently in my own “walking around life” as I’ve been concentrating on doing just that, I have had some opportunities to be up close and personal with this truth. When a recent incident happened I was irritated. Then I sat down and asked Holy Spirit to calm me down and I asked Jesus to help me think His thoughts. I began to think of how He would handle the situation.  His road to success was paved with grace, mercy and the desire to bring peace and unity of the Spirit. I acted on what I saw and heard and a potentially difficult situation was averted and my soul got in line. I love that! And I love knowing that it’s okay if I experience a negative emotion as long as I put my soul in the “washing machine” of God’s Spirit in me, add some soap and let my soul’s agitation become agitated by the Holy Spirit. The harmful thoughts are rinsed out until my emotions are clean and fresh again. If it’s a really difficult situation, I just add the “soak” cycle and an extra rinse.

Every day you will have the potential to be angry or irritated or upset. That means that it’s possible but not yet a reality. That’s life where we live. Jesus died to give you the potential to rise above old patterns of your thoughts in those times and to think His thoughts that will bring transformation, and calm and balance.

The scriptures don’t stop at, “Be angry!” (Thank goodness!) Holy Spirit knows the potential for anger in your life so He wisely adds: “And sin not!” I can only do that when He Himself is soaking into my thoughts and emotions so that the potential for “life” is there for me in every situation. Thank You Jesus.

It is lovely to know that no irritation, anger or upset has to throw me off my course. I will be changing my thinking, my mind will be renewed and refreshed and I will see Jesus in my situation and embrace the potential of Jesus in me, my hope of glory.

Power Thought:

Is it laundry day at your house? Scrub-a-dub-dub.