A pressure cooker of emotions

 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.  (I Peter 5:8-9)

How hard is it to keep a cool head? At times, there are words shared that make it a little more than difficult to keep your cool. Attitudes begin to grate on each other and the emotions we muster are more likely to build up pressures that will eventually need a release. I think this is the most dangerous time in a person's life because we don't always do a great job releasing the pressure in a positive manner. We want to respond well, but we let words divide rather than heal. Stay alert...pressure is coming, but you don't need to let that pressure define a wrong path with your words, actions, and attitude.

The thing we may miss in this passage is the fact we are not in this struggle to not allow pressures to build all alone. It is a common struggle for all of us. What happens when we demand the last word? Most of the time the pressure is building and we allow a release that is quite damaging to either us, the other guy, or others not even involved but close enough at the moment to be in the path of that release. God needs the last word...period. When we begin to ask God to let us step aside and allow him to take over, we begin to see a release to the pressures that doesn't end in damage.

As I write this today, I am enjoying a week away in the mountains. Do you know the prayer I began this week with? "God, govern my words, responses, attitudes, and emotions. Let me be a blessing wherever we go and in whatever we do." Why do I pray these words? God needs the last word in my life. He needs to help me see need, hear the words spoken, know when a response is mine to give, and how to stay still when no action is required from me. Do I just pray this when away on holiday? Nope, it is a daily thing. Why? Without his presence working in me my pressure cooker of emotions would be my undoing. How about you? Are pressures mounting way too often? Stay alert...let God get the last word by giving him those pressures rather than continuing to allow them to build. You are much more likely to heal wounds that way......not create new ones. Just sayin!