Losing Control

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13a)

When we give in to anger, fear, or hopelessness, we are giving Satan control. We have all likely felt it. You find things coming from your mouth that you had no intention of saying, know you shouldn't be saying, and don't even mean. Often, you're lashing out to hurt someone, because they've wounded you in some way.

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do even so to them (Matthew 7:12a).

This isn't the person God wants you to be, and it's not the person you really want to be. Jesus teaches us to be kind to others, even our enemies. Yet, we sometimes treat our loved ones worse than we do our enemies. We're to treat everyone the way we would like to be treated. We are to love them.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil. and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

It's Satan who directs us to be cruel and unkind. He encourages us to give in to fear or hopelessness. But we don't have to let him have his way. We have a choice of who controls our lives. If we give our lives to God and surrender to Him, we won't exhibit those negative attitudes and emotions. Having our focus on Him brings peace and joy no matter what is happening around us.

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