Have you ever found yourself being overwhelmed by your circumstances?
Perhaps the person in front of you in the queue is moving too slowly and people keep pushing in, the Internet connection on your phone is too slow, your children are being too noisy.
Whatever the circumstance is, it troubles you, annoys you, harasses you, until you lose it. So you angrily shove the person in front of you, you slam your phone down, breaking it in the process, you yell at your spouse and kids.
Afterwards, you feel terrible. But you justify yourself.
It was the other person, they were being annoying.
It was my emotions; they got the best of me.
It was the devil, he made me do it.
All the while, your finger refuses to bend back and point at the real culprit -yourself.
Are You the Problem?
Hard as it may be to admit, sometimes you are problem.
It is your lack of self control and restraint that leads you to act in an improper way. Your inability, to surrender to the Holy Spirit and listen to how He commands you to respond.
The truth is people will be people, emotions will be emotions and the enemy will always be the enemy and in their own way, each can play a part in influencing (or at least attempting to), your actions.
But in the end, you are the one who decides how to respond. Whether it is to another person’s behaviour towards you, the feeling of frustration within you, the words the enemy whispers at you, trying to entice you to act in an ungodly way.
You could respond with patience and refuse to let your heart be troubled, you could drown out the enemy’s words with God’s Word.
But it is you who decides what you do because, whether it feels like it or not, you always have a choice.
You Have A Choice
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.
-Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)
As the verse above reveals, we have been given a choice. You can choose to walk in God’s ways or contrary to them and as a result bring blessings or curses upon yourself.
This means that you also have a choice on how to respond to situations, circumstances and people.
You can choose to respond with anger, bitterness, resentment, complaining and grumbling. (Ephesians 4:31) Or you can choose to respond with God’s love, joy, peace and self control. (Galatians 5:22)
But what you choose to do will be influenced by whether or not you are willing to stop blaming everything and everyone, but yourself.
Stop Blaming Others and Making Excuses
For as long as you keep placing the placing the blame for your behaviour elsewhere, for as long as you keep making excuses, there will always be a reason for you not to change. You will remain the same impatient, selfish or bitter person.
But if you finally accept that you are the problem, you are one step closer to becoming a new person in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:22-24)
It may be a little scary to start taking responsibility for your actions.
But it’s necessary.
Right now is the time to be courageous and start taking responsibility for the things you do. (Joshua 1:9)
Confess your sinful behaviour and attitudes to the Lord. Make the choice to walk in His ways and then use your God-given authority to say no to the enemy’s power over you.
You Have Power and Authority in Jesus
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
-Luke 10:18 (NKJV)
One of the greatest lies you can ever believe is that you are powerless – powerless in the face of your circumstances, powerless in the face of your emotions and powerless in the face the devil.
Jesus Himself has given us authority over all the power of the enemy. That means that in whatever form that power chooses to manifest itself, whether it is in people, your emotions or situations, you have the authority over it.
Through faith in Jesus’ name, you can overcome. (1 John 5:4) You can rebuke the enemy. Renounce and repent from sinful behaviour and walk in the light of God.
You’ve got the power! And it’s time to start using it.
The Ball is in Your Court
Don’t miss an opportunity to grow as a Christian by dallying in self pity and pride. Be bold and courageous enough to admit that you are the problem. Come before God with your weakness and ask Him to help you overcome it.
Then start walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), choose to react and respond to people, situations and circumstances in a way you know will please God.
It’s up to you.
You can make the decision to change today, right now.
But will you?
The ball is in your court.
