Are You in Charge?

I like to be in charge…sometimes.

I don’t like to be in charge of a classroom full of 3-year-olds, a meal for over 12 people, a cabin full of preteens, or anyone else’s dogs.

I do like to be in charge of my family’s vacations plans, my Sunday afternoons, my kitchen, and the radio/IPod player in my car.

I don’t like to be in charge of where we’re going to dinner, unless the other people are voting for things like sushi, Weinerschnitzel, or Dairy Queen.

I do like to be in charge of the money, as long as I’m getting to choose how to spend it instead of how to save it.

Sometimes I’m really good at being in charge, like when I’m planning a party, leading a discussion group, or planning out menus for my family’s meals.

Other times being in charge makes me shake in my boots, like when I lead a group on a hike, spearhead a group project, or … try to control my emotions.

That’s right. One of the hardest things to be in charge of, in my book, is my own emotions.

Do you agree?

The Bible teaches in Proverbs 16:32:

• gleeful
• agitated
• put out
• jealous
• pitiful
• disappointed
• riled up
• thrilled
• or pious.

But the Bible teaches that as Jesus followers we’re not supposed to let any of these emotions rule us. We might feel the sudden impact of them, but then we are to temper them, sift through them for appropriateness and godliness, and let them know who is in charge.

Me?

No, the Holy Spirit.

If I walk by the flesh, I’m prone to allow my emotions to take charge and just go with them. That’s when I say things I later regret, make faces that stick in peoples’ minds, slam doors, walk with a strut in my stride, make poor decisions, and hurt other peoples’ feelings.

But if I walk by the Spirit, letting Him be in control, in charge, then I’m more likely to feel those bursting emotions come under His calming influence.

• He helps me love when I feel like twisting someone’s neck.
• He restores my joy when I’m sinking in sadness.
• He gives me peace when emotions are flying like damaging bullets around me.
• He infuses me with patience when others are making me lose it.
• He helps me say a kind word when I feel like spewing venom.
• He shows me how to do a little good when I’m more prone to do a lot of harm.
• He keeps my touch, my words, my tone of voice gentle when I’m feeling harsh.
• He helps me stay faithful when I feel like throwing in the towel because “that was the last straw!”
• Bottom line, He helps me stay in control and refrain from losing it.

I’m not the best at ruling my spirit, but I’m working on it. I think it’s important. It’s one of the ways we show our world what Jesus looks like. When we allow our emotions to take us on a roller coaster, our lives look just like the lives of those around us…like an amusement park. Sometimes we’re scary, sometimes we’re laughable, and other times we’re a little sickening. But when we rule our spirits by not allowing our emotions to get the best of us, we show the world what our God looks like.

He doesn’t fall apart, snap peoples’ heads off, make hasty decisions on a whim, or act out of jealousy or self-pity. He’s consistent and He’s good. I want people around me to know that. And that’s why it’s more important to rule over my spirit than to lead a mighty army.

Without the Holy Spirit, I’d be better at ruling a classroom full of 3-year-olds than trying to keep my wits about me amidst an emotional storm. But with the Holy Spirit in charge it’s like having a seasoned preschool teacher running the show. I like being in charge, but I’ve found that if I really want to get things under control it’s best to let Him call the shots.