What Is Your Power Source?

It is amazing the power we have within us called the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like a generator. Most of us don’t have a generator but it is a power supply that people get as a back-up to the current power supply they already have. Generators are used in place of the normal power supply that you use. However, they do not automatically go on unless, of course, in my lack of complete knowledge on generators there are some that you can program to come on when your regular power source goes off. In any case, YOU have to make the choice to turn on the generator. Spiritually speaking, our regular power source is our own attempts to be God. This power source is based on a lie that Satan planted in Eve way back in the Garden of Eden and has been planted within all of us. Read Genesis 3: 1-6 to discover those first lies that Satan planted within us. He makes us question God and lies to us making us believe that we can be like God.  How many of us have heard this kind of self-talk and/or talk spoken by others: “I can do it on my own”, “I can do it by myself”, “I don’t need help”, “I’ve got this”, “I know what I am doing”. You may have your own statement you can add to this list. These are all lies we tell ourselves which are supposed to give us the power we need but when our power source is based on a lie the consequences will reflect this. Suppose I am a teacher and one of my students is having problems dealing with anger. As teachers, we often rely on the techniques we have learned on the job or in our education regarding teaching but as followers of Christ, we have to be cautious of what we are teaching. Teaching based on a lie will not ultimately help teach this student about how to handle his anger in ways pleasing to God. As a teacher, we, too, are to utilize the alternate power source given to us by God when we chose to believe in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit’s power is within us but it is a power that we need to call upon. It is the power that we need to learn to use in all circumstances throughout our lives because it is the power based on the Truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth told to us in John 14:16. So our choice each day and every moment in that day is to make the choice to turn on the generator, go to the Holy Spirit.  As it says in Zechariah 4:6 ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit’, says the Lord Almighty. So, if we use the power of the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Truth, you will be led to the truth. What are the truths that will overcome those self-powered statements above: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”, “I cannot do it on my own but the Lord is always with me to lead me and give me wisdom”, “The Lord is my helper. Your power works best in my weakness”, “I don’t have this but when I put you before me, you will lead me”. Look within the Word of God for more truth that will overcome the lies that Satan puts in us. Share these truths with others that we may all become more aware of the power source we should be relying on, the Spirit of Truth.

**Journaling inspired by Jesus Calling by Sarah Young-October 4 and the Spirit of Truth.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 83

Sadly, not all people felt loved yesterday. I heard on the radio about a boy with Asperger’s who did not get one valentine. It is easy to love some and it is harder to love others but Jesus calls us to love everyone. My daughter got the opposite of this boy with no valentines. Her teacher got bookmarks for all her class but when she was getting all the heart book marks, she saw a kitty bookmark and thought of my daughter who is the biggest kitty lover ever. So, the teacher announced that she got bookmarks for everyone but one person got a different one. My daughter was not expecting it to be her. That one little act made her feel so loved and so special. I am grateful to God she has a teacher that not only is working with her class on building up their knowledge but building up each of them in their heart. I pray that all those who are not feeling loved will remember or come to know that God’s love never fails and his love will always be there for them.

1Corinthians 8:1 Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 24

My bible study group gathered last evening over a potluck dinner and discussed the second in a series of fictional books. During our discussion, it was brought up how a teacher of one of the ladies grown children had come up with a positive phrase about each child in the class and she brought these up everyday throughout the year. We discussed how awesome that would be if that could happen to all of us in our workplaces, families, neighborhoods, etc. This building up another person with encouraging words is an act of love. What a world this would be if everyone every day just said some encouraging building-up words to just one person! One of my prominent spiritual gifts is encouragement so this is fairly easy for me but I am still going to set a goal for myself to do this with purpose and intention each day. I am around my co-workers and my family the most so I will pick one person for each day from both groups and make sure I have said at least one encouraging word, one thing that will build up that person, one thing to let them know they are loved. Who can you say encouraging words to today?

Tip: try setting an alert on your phone to remind you of building someone up today or any goals you have.

1 Thessalonians 5:11
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 296

We watched the singing competition show called The Voice last evening. This competition starts with the blind auditions. The judges have their backs facing the stage and they hit their buttons to turn around based only on what they are hearing. The final singer of the night was a "gentle giant". He was an 18 year old big black guy who sang incredibly. They often tell the stories of the singers and his really struck a cord with me. He was told by an 8th grade teacher he would be a nobody, nothing and what he really wants from this singing competition is confidence. This kind of thing gets me incensed. My mother always told me if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all. She learned this from God's word. The lips and what comes out of them can be very detremental. Our words have the power for good and the power for bad so it is something we have to take responsiblity for and control. Now this teacher may have been having a very bad day, week, year, who knows but in the end we have to learn that it is not all just about us. What we say can hurt. God calls us to be building each other up, not tearing each other down. I am sure this "gentle giant" will find his confidence and my prayer is he will find forgiveness for this teacher and I pray the teacher will find his or her way to God's word and let the Lord heal his or her heart and guide him or her to using his or her words only for building up.

Ephesian 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.