What Powers Your Life?

Fuel powers cars. Electricity powers appliances. Batteries power gadgets. The truth is, everything is POWERED by something. Us included! There are so many different things that can power us, individually. What motivates you to do something, or to do better? Unfortunately, there are endless negative things that can power us. I think we all get in a rut and let the following things power us from time to time:

1. Guilt. Unfortunately this has always been one of my "buttons". If you can make me feel guilty, chances are I'm going to work my butt off until I don't feel guilty anymore. Guilt has been something that I've struggled with for a long time. ButI should never let GUILT power my life!

2. Performance. Say you have to give a big presentation infront of a large crowd of people. Maybe it's all strangers, but what if it's a room full of people know you, you work with day to day, whom you want to impress. Your career relies on it. Chances are good, you will work your butt off to ensure a great performance. But should PERFORMANCE be allowed to power our lives?

3. Rejection. Sometimes we can even be powered by rejection. We didn't get the job we wanted? or the promotion we think we deserve? Or even the date we wanted to get! Somehow all of this can make us live the life of a victim. Why let REJECTION have so much power over us?

4. Failure. It happens to everyone at one time or another. The truth is, as long as we're trying, we're bound to succeed at some things and fail at others. Does that failure at one small thing lead to giving up in a bigger picture? Does failing during one week of an exercise plan mean throwing in the towel and giving up your gym membership? Of course not. Just get up and try again. Law of averages says you're bound to succeed sometime! FAILURE shouldn't be one of the things that power us.

5. Fear. I believe fear is one of the worst emotions in the world. People can do CRAZY things when they are fearful. We go into self-survival mode, or protection mode, and suddenly the whole world fades away and we only think about ourselves. God tells us do not fear, but be strong and courageous. FEAR should never power our lives.

6. Perfectionism. Some people are perfectionists; it's just the way they were created. It's good to have the determinism to do things right, but sometimes we can get carried away with it. I know when I'm up against deadlines at work, I tend to work long hours/weekends, burning the candle at both ends. And then what happens? The paper work at the meeting the next day is perfect, but me? I'm exhausted and brain-dead, and not functioning at my normal level. PERFECTIONISM shouldn't be given this power over my life.

The bottom line is the source of power in your life controls the quality and success of your life. So, rhetorically I ask, what is the source of power in your life? I fall into each of these at different times and situations in my life. But I want to make a change. And I'm discovering what it is in life that SHOULD power me. and that's GRACE.

Step one, identifying the solution. (check!) Step two, application. (a little tougher)

So how am I supposed to not let these negative feelings/emotions power my life, or parts of it? I have to somehow actively bring God's GRACE into the situation, case by case. And I believe the first of many steps in doing so, is changing my attitude about things. Often times I need to change my entire goal from ACHIEVING to RECEIVING. It's not about achieving the best performance infront of my peers, or putting together a perfect meeting book. It's not so much about what I'm doing. But it's more about God. And THAT work has already been done. So now it's up to me to actively RECEIVE it.

It's not about us. Jesus already did the work on the cross that grants us "worthy". OUR sins did not make US sinners... Adam's sin made us sinners. In the same way, it is not our righteous deeds that make us righteous. It is Jesus' righteous deed on the cross that makes us righteous. Therefore we need to simply RECEIVE grace that's already been laid out before us, FOR us.

If you need more "power" in your life, chances are you need a greater revalation of God's Grace. Afterall, GRACE is unearned, undeserved, and unmerited favor and blessing from God. ...and I'll take it!