I Give it Power

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I have an Apple Watch.  It was a present from my gift-giving husband.  He wanted to show me how proud he was of my accomplishments.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like carrying around a high powered computer on my wrist, but to be perfectly honest...I'm loving it...BUT...the one fault with the watch has been that it needs to be charged nightly or every other night. 

The other night I got in bed and I pressed the little nob on the side of the watch to display the amount of battery life.  It was less than 20%.  I knew the watch would be powerless by morning.  I looked at the charger across the room and realized I had a decision to make right that moment. I could Give it Power or not.

There is truth in these four simple words...I Give it Power. Of course you know I have a story to drive this point home.

Years ago, I shared a personal story with someone who was struggling.  I thought I was being soooo helpful, and in my endeavor to comfort her with my wisdom, I shared a tender, personal story of something the Lord helped me through.  A bit later, the person turned and pointed at me and said to another...and I quote, "Then she started lecturing me."

My head snapped in her direction, and I echoed the word to my accuser with a questioning tone, "Lecturing...?"

Her words stung.  I had opened myself up and shared with her a very personal story.   I'm ashamed to admit that right that moment something inside of me 'turned off' towards that person.

The truth was she was hurting, and I should have shown her grace.  But I gave her words the power to divide us.

Time for a little I Corinthians 13...

4 Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. 5 It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. 6 It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. 7 Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.

This week, I'm guessing we all are going to have choices to make when something or someone offends us...Will we give it power?

I really hate it when I act badly, say mean things, harbor resentment or bitterness in my heart towards another.   That's not how love acts.

Remember this:  You can give it power or you can choose to be patient, kind, not jealous, not a praise seeker, not arrogant, not rude, not proud, not irritable, not a record keeper of wrongs, not rejoicing in wrong, but happy with the truth.

You choose what you will give power.

I choose LOVE.




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