You're in Charge

  I read something cool this morning, and it got me thinking.  I was reading Psalm 8 and I came across this verse.  "You made him [man] ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet"  (Psalm 8:6)  Another place in the Bible says it this way, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3a).  The thing that I find exciting here is that we have the power.  We have the opportunity to control our own lives and to steer ourselves in any direction we choose (paraphrased loosely from Dr. Suess, Oh The Places You'll Go).
  I once heard Joyce Meyer say, "Stop asking God to do things for you that He's already given you the power to do for yourself."  (That may not be 100% quoted because I can't remember which audio I heard it on.)  But the point is, that phrase has stuck with me for a long time, because really, that's just it.  We want to blame someone else, take the responsibility away from ourselves.  After all, if it's not our fault, then we don't feel bad about failing.  We keep asking God, our bosses, our spouses, whoever to make us healthier, wiser, wealthier, and more popular.  The truth is though, it is entirely in our control.  We have the choice every day, the choice to eat healthfully, or not, to exercise, or not, to make that phone call, mend that relationship, etc, etc...  The question is though, are you taking advantage of that opportunity, or are you giving up your power?
  Every result we get in our lives is a consequence of something we did, or failed to do. (For more on this, check out The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson.) Are you utilizing your power today? Or are you throwing it away, wishing for a change instead. You already have what you need. You simply have to decide to use it. Take that step; eat that vegetable; save that $5. I can’t wait to see you succeed!
~K.W.