Give it up!

Have you ever been around someone who is stressed ALL the time and found yourself becoming stressed or uptight when you’re around them? Or have you been around someone who is full of joy and found yourself feeling really happy and joyful? That’s because we all give off what we carry, whether it’s stress, frustrations, joy or peace. Kris Vallotton says, “You’ll always create the environment within you around you.” Whaaaaat?  Yeah, take that in for a minute. Whatever we are carrying around inside of us, whatever we’re allowing our minds to think about, whatever we’re holding in hearts will be released in the environment around us and everywhere we go.

We can have a huge impact on the environment around us (for better or worse) whether it’s at work, at home, at the grocery store, etc.  YOU LEAK! So what are you leaking right now? Are you leaking more stress and anxiety into a stressful situation or are you leaking love and peace? Are you leaking negativity into an already dark place or are you leaking hope and joy? Don’t let your junk leak on everyone else. Let Holy Spirit bring your junk to the surface and then leave it at the foot of the Cross.  There’s an alternative gift that Holy Spirit wants to give you for every negative thing you lay down to Him (ie. If you leave stress, you pick up the gift of peace). So give it up! Give up your junk and take a better gift! Gifts are always good…AND they’re free!

Someone told me today that I have a lot of tolerance; that’s because I’ve walked it out. I carry peace because I have chosen peace over stress when stressful situations come up. I’ve chosen peace when everything around me is turmoil. And in the place I’m at right now, I’m gaining even more tolerance because I’m choosing peace and patience in each situation that threatens my peace and patience.  I'm not saying I've "arrived," but I'm definitely moving forward in the process. Whatever difficult situation you’re facing, choose the opposite. Do it daily. Do it in every situation. Choose hope; choose love; choose joy; chose honor; choose peace. It starts with a choice. If you want to release it into the environment around you, you have to walk it out to get it within you first, and I guarantee it’ll be better than anything you give up!